Cursed Love
by Angsty Tiger
Summary: A story of the friendship and love between two cursed kids, both struggling to understand themselves and their place in the world. Hiro x Kisa. Spoilers! -Hiatus-
1. Cursed Fates Intertwine

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Disclaimer

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Sadly, fate hasn't been nice enough to allow me to own any of the Fruits Basket Characters. They belong to Takaya-senpai...

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**Chapter 1 – Cursed Fates Intertwine**

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How irritating! Doesn't the city's zoning department have any consideration for people that are forced to walk this road? I just shake my head as I look upon the massive amount of destruction that has befallen the street I typically walk down at 3:04pm on any given Tuesday. It was corner to corner, touching each light post. The smell was almost unbearable. Sure they were replacing the water lines… Smelled like they were replacing more than that! Retreating from the smell, I decided to cut around the block and access the road from further on down. This has added almost two minutes on to my trip! Inconsiderate people really bug me. 

As I trudged around the side road I notice the rather large building across the street that until just now, I had forgotten about. It was a school, reasonably close to the size of the one I attend but this one had one minor difference. Unlike mine, this one had a population consistent entirely of females. It was a private girl's grade school. Some of my more ignorant classmates referred to it as cootie central but I don't usually concern myself with such things… or people for that matter. The building itself sat on rather nice grounds and took up a full two city blocks. I watched the flow of girls leaving the building rather casually as I walked down the sidewalk to approach my desired road.

That's when it happened. I saw HER! Her hair, a light golden-brown color, flowed to her shoulders. The only place this elegant pattern was interrupted was in two long locks of hair on each side of her head towards the front. She was walking by herself leaving the school. There was a large pile of books in her arms. She glanced briefly in my direction before turning left and continuing down the sidewalk. I don't even know if she was looking at ME or not. I was surprised to find that her eyes were the same color as her hair. She seemed to keep her head down as she walked through and I found that a little odd. Maybe she just had a rough day.

After snapping myself out of my daze I realized that I had walked right past the street I had desired to turn on. Cursing my own stupidity I decided to just continue on and catch the next road. Besides, I was curious about this young girl that was walking parallel to me. After a little while of monitoring her I noticed a couple of other girls approaching quickly from behind her. Maybe they wanted to talk with her? Girl talk had always irritated me. All they seemed to be able to speak of was cute things, other peoples business, and themselves. I mostly avoided talking with them but of course that wasn't the only reason…

Wait? Something was happening. My attention snapped back to reality quickly. I could hardly hide my shock as the two girls didn't slow down in the least. They collided with her back and she went plummeting to the pavement. She didn't hit very hard but her books were scattered across the sidewalk. From my position I could hear the girls relatively clearly, "Watch where your going, Blondie!" They were taunting her? That was horrible. And how could they call that lovely shade of brown… blonde? I stopped myself mid-thought. Why was I having these thoughts? I shook my head and tried to continue onward. This wasn't my problem. If the girl refused to defend herself then she deserved what she got. I couldn't help myself though and I glanced towards her again. The girls walking the same sidewalk at best would ignore her entirely and walk around her. Sometimes they would step on her books as they walked past laughing at her. I felt this… anger… build up in me. How can you treat her like that?

Before I could realize my actions I found myself crossing the street. I was now walking towards her like so many girls had before. As I got closer I noticed that her eyes had become watery and she was starting to cry. Oh great! Now what do I do? Absently I reached into my coat pocket and withdrew one of the tissues I had. My nose sometimes reacted poorly to the changing temperature this time of year so I usually carry a small supply. Never thought I would be giving them to someone else though. She was starting to gather up her books when she noticed my approach. She instinctively moved her arms out of the way assuming I was another girl to trample her precious books. Stupid girl! You shouldn't be so submissive to others.

For a moment she just sat there, waiting for me to run her books over and move on. Then she seemed to notice that I had stopped moving and very slowly and timidly glanced up at me. At this point I am holding the tissue out to her and trying to put on my best smile. I never have been very good at smiling but I will get into that later. She stared up at me in almost disbelief for a moment before reaching up and grabbing the tissue. I can barely hear a whispered, "Thank you…" before she starts to wipe her eyes.

I start to gather her books up as she is composing herself. I finished gathering them into one neat pile and stood up. I hear a sharp intake of breath from the girl as I stand and she quickly follows me. She seemed to regain her voice enough to say, "Please don't!" I try to think of what she doesn't want me to do. My confusion must have shown through in my face because she tilted her head slightly to the side with a questioning look. I suddenly realized! She thought I was going to take her books. A pained feeling flooded through me as I tried to smile at her again. I think a little too much sadness came through in the smile but I handed her books back anyway… She seemed completely stunned, like it was unfeasible how anyone could just give back her books. I gave her a slight nod before continuing past her towards my house. I can almost feel her questioning eyes on my back as I walked on.

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**Wednesday**

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Why am I doing this? It's silly, I don't even know if she is AT school today! I screamed these thoughts at myself as I watched. Here I find myself again. Standing on the corner where I made my detour yesterday. This time is different though. I'm waiting for a rather silly girl to come out of the school. Yes. You guessed it, the same one as yesterday. I am about to give up hope when I finally see her. She left the school in a slight hurry, seeming to be late for something. She turned onto the sidewalk without looking this time carrying an almost identical, if not the same, pile of books. 

I followed her rapid pace along my side of the street. I wondered if she will turn at the corner or just continue. Then I see him. A boy is waiting around the corner of the school wall. He might be waiting for her. That might be why she's rushing. I felt rather stupid at that point. Of course she would have someone wait for her after what happened yesterday. I find out shortly that I am only half right. Just as she passed the end of the school fence he stepped out and pretended to walk into her. The force of the blow was enough to send her sprawling on the pavement. Her books went flying again and a couple landed in the road. She started to crawl towards the ones in the road when the boy started shouting at her, "Watch where you're going you stupid girl!"

I extremely doubted the validity of that comment and found myself crossing the road again as I did yesterday. By the time I got close enough to clearly see the situation; a number of girls had stopped and were giggling at her. She was laying there amidst her spilled books, crying. There was a deep cut on her right elbow and she was still trying to get the books in the road. She looked so helpless crawling like that. I walked around the crowd of girls and picked up the two books that fell into the road. She watched the books in my hand as I approached her, then looked up. It would seem she recognized me from yesterday for her eyes widened when she saw my face. I smiled down at her. The boy was demanding apologies from her when I approached and handed her the books. He glared up at me and I was quick to return it. Just because she was too timid to protect herself doesn't mean I couldn't help her. I walked around the girl, careful to avoid stepping on any of the books and stood between her and the boy. She rotated as I walked around her, staring at me with a wondering expression on her face.

I stopped when I directly interposed him and the girl and declared calmly with a slightly icy tone, "I don't see why she would have to apologize for being the subject of your tormenting."

The boy looked stunned that I had actually questioned his obviously favorable taunting of the girl, and then his eyes narrowed. "She owes me an apology for running into me!"

I had to stop myself from laughing over that one. Did he really think I was so stupid? I retaliated, "Oh really? I can't remember reading about a law that states that. Hmm…" I shifted to the right so my side was facing him and pretended to ponder for a couple moments, before continuing, "And besides. From my view over there," I gestured towards the other side of the street, "I saw you run into her." I rotate my head sideways to watch him at an angle before continuing, "Thus, if this so called "law" of yours exists, then YOU would owe HER the apology…"

He starts to shake with rage. I heard an intake of breath from behind me and assumed it's the girl. He almost growled, "Why don't you just mind your own business and move on?"

My initial opinion of him was correct after all. He was an idiot. I shook my head and responded, "I am simply trying to point out my observations. I try to save you money later on and you tell me to leave…"

The boy looked rather confused now and seemed to think for a little bit before speaking again, "Wha… What do you mean?"

I casually glanced down at the girl's right arm and then looked back at him with the same snide smile before continuing, "With the proper lawyer she could press that for assault and battery. That would make quite a bit of money for her…"

The boy started to look scared. He glanced around nervously, backing away a couple of steps before turning and fleeing. I'm laughing in my head the entire time. After a brief moment of amusement watching him run, I turned my attention to the girl again. She stared up at me in awe from the sidewalk, tears flowing down her cheeks. I shot a quick glare into the crowd of girls and they started to dissipate, walking in the other direction as if afraid of me. I absolutely despise people that act like vultures. I kneeled down to the girl on the sidewalk and handed her another tissue. This time she smiled at me and took it without hesitation… At least she remembered who I was. I picked up the rest of her scattered books and formed them into a neat pile. This time I put the pile down in front of her and held my hands up, face level with her, smiling. Yes, I am trying my hardest not to be accused of stealing them this time. She smiled, blushed slightly and looked down at the pile.

"Sorry about last time but I'm used to…" she hesitates there. It's still the sweetest and most innocent voice I have ever heard. The only thing that I could match it up with would be an angel in human form. I stop there again; surprised to hear myself think these thoughts. It's not like I actually like her or anything. I just pity her I tell myself.

I smiled at her, "Don't worry about last time, no harm done." I tried to explain to her. As I am trying to make her feel better I notice that her arm is bleeding a little bit. I pulled out another tissue and extended it out towards her. She looked at me, obviously confused, so I pressed the tissue gently to her wound. She winced slightly when it made contact but reached down and held it there. She smiled up at me but then looked down at her books and lost her smile.

I suddenly realized that if she is clutching the tissue to her arm that she won't be able to carry her books. I reach down without thinking and take the entire pile into my arms, standing up. She stands as well and looks at me with questioning eyes. I think I was looking at myself in the same manner. I told her, "Don't worry. I will carry these for you. Just lead the way!" adding a happy flare onto the last part. She smiled and nodded enthusiastically. My doubt washed away when I saw her nod like that.

I carried the pile of books the entire way to her house. I found out she actually didn't live that far from my house but I remained silent about that. We talked about all sorts of things and I discovered that she also likes Anime. Towards the end of the walk I asked her if things like earlier happen a lot. She started to look sad again and I silently cursed myself, not that I needed any more.

"It happens more often than I would like…" she comments. I looked over at her and she wore a sad expression but when she looked back up at me she was smiling. She continued, "Of course, you helped me out a lot today!" She laughed after saying this and looked back at me. I smiled at her and nodded. She blushed, "Thank you." She looked down at the ground when she said that.

"Don't mention it!" I happily told her. I didn't dare mention that the combine weight of the stack of books AND my backpack was starting to be a bit much but just kept smiling. Why do I even bother? She refused to stick up for herself.

"Well, we're here…" she commented and I could almost hear a hint of sadness in her voice, like she didn't want to stop talking with me. I never got a chance to ask her if she wanted to talk more because her mother, who was extremely worried that she was so late I found out later, saw her from the door and rushed out into the yard.

"What on earth happened to your arm? Who is this boy? Why is he carrying your books? Why are you so late?" flooded from her mouth. I tried to pretend I'm not there. I was pretty sure that it was a bad idea to carry her books for her but if I could just escape before she… My attention snapped back to reality when I heard talking.

The girl looked down at the ground when she said, "I had a small accident and hurt my arm. This boy helped me by carrying my books home for me…" I frowned at this statement but then noticed that her mother was looking at me so I changed my face back to smiling. Why didn't she tell her mother about the boy? I extended the pile of books towards the girl's mother. Her mother's expression went from scowling to smiling at me.

"Well… Thank you for helping my daughter. Would you like to come inside for something to eat?" she offered. My mind screamed "yes" but as usual, my logic won out.

"No thank you. My mother is probably worried about me by now. I am after all a half an hour late as of NOW…" I said in a joking manner. Less than a half a second later, I regret ever saying those words. The girl's mother looked sad again and glanced over at the girl with a smile that can't hide her true feelings. The girl took a sharp intake of breath and stared at me, stunned. I quickly said, "Don't worry about it though! I'm just glad I could help!" An awkward silence prevailed and after a few long seconds I declared that I had better get going now. Why was she so touchy? It's not like she really owes me for fending the boy off.

"Well let's go in and clean you up…" I hear her mother say as I walk off. I stopped all of a sudden and felt like a complete idiot. I never asked what her name was… I started to turn around to ask but they already disappeared inside the house. It would be too awkward for me to go up and knock now. I went the last couple of blocks home mentally kicking myself.

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**Thursday**

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I am starting to make a habit of this. Why I care so much I don't know but I again find myself taking the same detour even though they released the blockade on the sidewalk after this morning. This time I am casually waiting on a bench watching the school entrance. The same girl came out with the same stack of books. I couldn't help but smile. She turned left down the sidewalk again, completely oblivious to my existence. I shook my head and stood up, following my usual path parallel to her across the street. Maybe if she was more observant she wouldn't get into so much trouble I thought. I sighed when I saw the same boy approaching her from behind. This time I crossed the street consciously and followed silently behind the boy. Some people are so stupid that they need to learn the same things more than once I tried to tell myself. 

He reached the girl and grabbed her violently by the shoulder and spun her around. I felt myself start to get angry and I had a strong urge to crush the boy into the sidewalk with my martial arts but I wanted to try for a peaceful solution again.

"Your boyfriend ain't here to protect you today, girl! You had better consider apologizing to me this time or I might really get mad!" could be heard from where I was standing.

"No! Please…" I heard a scared whine come from behind him. I resisted growling and instead tap him on the shoulder from behind.

He spun around quickly and saw me standing there with probably the stare of death on my face. That expression I'm good at. I saw the girl peek around him and see me. Her face brightened almost immediately. The boy's face however whitened by several shades. I held up three fingers to his face and said, "One, You should never assume that people are in a relationship. Two, "ain't" is not a word and should never be used by someone who has passed first grade. Three, you must really want to lose money if you are bugging her again." As I made these three points I dropped the respective finger until I am left with none and just staring at him. He backed away from my stare a couple steps. I moved my arm in-between the girl and him, and she slid to the right to put herself mostly behind me. I kept moving my arm to mostly shield her from the boy.

"I didn't touch her today so you just shut your mouth!" he stuttered out. Inside I am just shaking my head. Some people could be so ignorant. Ignorant people irritate me.

"You really don't know much about laws do you? Even if you didn't do anything to her today she can still sue you for what you did YESTERDAY…" I rolled my eyes.

"I… I knew that!" he yelled defensively. After a couple of second of looking hesitant he continued, "HEY! Are you calling me stupid?"

"No, I said you didn't know much about laws. You called yourself stupid… not me." I retorted. Too easy I thought.

By now the boy is visibly shaking with anger. I suddenly felt the girl put her hands on my arm. I get a little concerned when she does this because bad things would happen if she got any friendlier with me. I had better wrap this up quickly… I was shocked out of my thinking when the boy grabbed the front of my shirt all of a sudden. He lifted me off the ground.

"I should just rip you in half you little brat! Then there wouldn't be anyone left to help her! You think the other girls of this school care what happens to her?" he growled. I mentally stored this information.

I felt more anger building in me when I said, "You had better be careful… This is a much worse case of assault and battery. Also you should never underestimate your opponent for he might be beyond your skill level and there are plenty of witnesses here to prove that you were threatening me first…" I gave him the icy stair of death that matched my tone of voice. The boy's eyes couldn't have gotten bigger. He dropped me almost instantly and fled in the other direction.

I turned around to the girl again. She was crying again but smiling at the same time. There was no point in me trying to figure out how this was possible. I made a comment that I was going to run out of tissues with her around as I handed her one. She blushed deeply as she took it. I suddenly noticed that she didn't have her stack of books and glanced at the ground where she was standing previously. Sure enough, the books were in their usual spot… the ground. I sighed as I stacked them into a neat pile and picked them up. It wouldn't be a surprise if they didn't last the school year. She held out her arms to accept the books but I just smiled at her and walked on towards her house.

"Hey… I don't need you to carry them today…" she said timidly with a slight laugh in her voice. Why did I find this situation amusing?

"I just felt like it", I declared as I shrugged. I heard footsteps rapidly catching up to me and she slowed down when she was walking beside me. Why was I doing this? Various screamed thoughts were going through my head. Do I really feel this sorry for her?

"Thanks…" she said, still rather timidly. Her walking to the left of me gave me an excellent view of her right arm. I noticed the place where she got scraped was heavily bandaged. I couldn't recall the cut being THAT big.

"Um… Went a little over-zealous on the bandages?" I asked casually, glancing down at her arm as she looked over at me.

"Well… Mother can be a bit… over-protective of me every once in a while." She comments. So can mine but she probably has slightly different reasons.

I waited about ten seconds through silence before saying, "I never have gotten your name…" I wasn't quite expecting the results. She stopped… completely. I turned around when I noticed she wasn't moving and stared questioningly at her.

"I'm so sorry!" she blurted out. I couldn't hide my look of surprise. She continued, "You helped me so many times and I never even told you my name?"

I didn't know what else to do so I just shook my head and told her, "Its ok… I was just curious if you could tell me now?" So she did think she actually owed me for all the small things I did…

She smiled at me before answering, "My name is Kisa, nice to meet you… um…" She tilted her head to the side slightly looking at me.

"Hiro, call me Hiro." I exclaimed. Kisa huh… I think I liked that name... She walked up to me again.

"Thank you for all you have done for me Hiro!" she almost cheers. I can't help but smile further. We turned back towards her house and continued walking.

During the trip I worked up enough guts to finally ask, "Why didn't you tell your mother about the boy that was bothering you yesterday, Kisa?"

"Well…" she said hesitantly, "Mother gets worried about me a lot and I don't like to make people worried."

"But if you just get it over with and tell her that you're being teased maybe she can do something about it and you wouldn't have to worry about it anymore?"

"Yes well… you seem to be taking care of most of my problems so I'm not too worried about it." I somehow doubted that the few events after school were "most" of her problems…

"Oh? I'm supposed to come by every day and escort you home because you don't want to tell your mother about the bully?" That came out a little snider than I would have wished.

Kisa looks down at the ground before continuing, "Well it gives me an excuse to talk to and be around you."

I was a little stunned. She wanted to be around me? Why? I decided to continue to try to hide some of my shock, "Well you don't need an excuse to hang around me if you want to…" Oops… Well that's what I get for talking before thinking again.

Kisa stopped walking all of a sudden and looked over at me. I was expecting this so I was already stopped. She looked at me with a slightly surprised expression on her face and asked, "Really?"

Why not? I had already partially blown it. I replied as nonchalantly as I could muster, "Of course! I actually don't live that far from you."

Kisa's eyes widened further and she exclaimed, "Awesome! I will ask my mom after I eat diner!" She looked really excited and I found myself smiling. I also was crying inside because I doubted this would turn out well and I didn't want her getting hurt.

Even though we walked the rest of the way to her house in silence the air was charged with electricity. Her energy had reached new levels. I started to wonder how many people actually wanted to be her friend. I realized that we were running late again when her mother greeted her at the door. I handed her books back to her and she took them inside. Kisa's mother was smiling at her as she walked upstairs to her room. She then turned around and looked at me.

"Kisa seems to like you. She doesn't get the chance to make many friends but I hope you will give her a chance. No matter how clumsy she can be sometimes…" her mother said calmly but with a slight sliver of sadness in her eyes. I realized that clumsy actually applied to her shyness and nodded. I found myself wondering how she had gotten this way.

A minute or so later Kisa came back and introduced me officially to her mother. I had planned ahead this time and informed my mother that I might be a little late as I might be stopping by a friend's house for lunch. She of course, like all mothers, teased me and said I should bring this "friend" home one of these days and I didn't have the heart to tell her it actually WAS a girl.

"Well it was nice meeting you Hiro." Kisa's mother said. This snapped me almost instantly out of my daze. I realized that today, the day I actually had permission; I wasn't going to get invited to stay and eat. I imagined having to go downtown to eat at the sandwich shop because I had already told my mother not to fix anything. Apparently I did a really poor job of hiding my look of disappointment on my face because Kisa noticed it.

"Do you think Hiro could stay for lunch mom?" she asked almost instantly in an excited voice.

Her mother turned around and smiled at her, and then to me she said, "I don't see why not. Is it's ok with your mother and father?"

I was overjoyed and nodded happily saying, "I already told my mother that I would be home a little late today so sure!" This was probably a bad idea but I would like to get to know Kisa a little better.

Kisa's mother nodded and turned around into the kitchen. I almost didn't get my shoes off before Kisa was dragging me around the house giving me a grand tour. After the tour we spent the rest of the time talking in her room. It was a reasonably large room but a little too… yellow for me. It looked good with Kisa though so it didn't matter. It was also very cozy. It definitely had Kisa's personal touch added to it.

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**Lunch**

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Lunch came around relatively quickly and all three of us sat down to enjoy it. It was just as good as my mother makes and gone just about as quickly. I sat there pleasantly full and relaxing in the chair when I noticed Kisa looking at me. The second I looked over at her she started giggling. 

"What on earth has possessed you child?" her mother questioned, smiling. I was about to ask the same thing.

"It's just that Hiro looks rather happy with your food mother. I'm not so sure that we are going to be able to get him to leave!" she said laughing.

"Oh? You want me to leave now?" I replied, trying to shade it in a joking manner.

"What? NO! I was only joking!" she exclaimed, actually looking somewhat worried. She could be so touchy sometimes.

I smiled then, "Well I should be getting home anyway…" I wasn't at all expecting the next question and I don't think her mother was either.

She glanced over towards her mother and asks, "Mom, can I go over to Hiro's house for a little while?" My heart dropped into my stomach. From the looks of it, Kisa's mother followed suit. She got very pale all of a sudden. I had been dreading this. Eating casually at Kisa's house was one thing but her coming home with me was slightly different.

"Are you sure about this Kisa?" she asked without really thinking that I was still in the room. Kisa's eyes got really big all of a sudden as she glanced nervously over at me. Yes, I will admit I was a little hurt that I wasn't completely trusted but I had only met her mother yesterday. Her mother seemed to remember that I was actually in the room still when I got up and started towards the door. She looked over at me with a look of guilt on her face. I was guilty of saying things before I thought them through myself so I wasn't terribly upset.

I instead turned around with a smile and said, "Don't worry Kisa, maybe you can come over some other day…" She started to say something about not having my phone number or email address but I had already left before I heard any more. I didn't want to get in the way between her and her mother. I quickly walked home. Why was I upset that her mother hadn't let her come over? It probably would have ended in disaster anyway.

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**Friday**

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I was being really bold today. I didn't bother to wait across the street this time. I was waiting directly to the left of the gates. I waited until I just saw Kisa walk past when I reached one hand over, one under, her right arm and pulled the entire stack of books out of her arms. She stumbled forward with the momentum but I shifted the stack to my right arm and caught a hold of her shoulder with my left hand. She reacted exactly like I thought she would. 

She turned around whimpering and the first words out of her mouth were, "Please give them… back?" I almost snickered.

She stopped. Not recognizing me for a split second. Then her face lightened up and she started to smile. I smiled at her then walked right past her towards the direction of her house, still carrying her books. She happily tagged along after me. I noticed that all of the girls that normally would be taunting her were moving out of our way. Kisa seemed to be noticing this too and for some reason I was happy I was able to help her. We talked the entire way to her house about various different subjects until we got nearer. Then she hit me with something that surprised me.

"I told my mom about the bully." She casually slipped in after one of our conversations was over with. If I hadn't had training in balance and weight, I probably would have been sprawling on my face in the dirt almost immediately.

I turned to look at her and asked, "You took my advice?" I can't believe I said that. Why would she trust my advice so whole-heartedly? I just met her!

She nodded, and then went on to explain, "I thought what you said over for a long time and it actually sounded pretty wise. That night I decided and told my mother about it. Of course this inevitably led up to how I got out of the situations and to you but…"

I was suddenly rather frightened to go into Kisa's house. I can't really explain why but I just had a bad feeling about it. I was rather happy that she took my advice though. This time I assumed that we were on time because Kisa's mother wasn't at the door. We wandered into the kitchen and found her humming and chopping vegetables. She turned around when she heard our footsteps.

"Oh! Welcome home dear, and hello Hiro." She happily exclaimed. Kisa just gave her a rather odd look. I remained silent.

Kisa finally asked, "You didn't greet me at the door like you usually do. Is something wrong?"

Her mother looked hesitant when she replied, "Well you were on time today and besides, I knew Hiro was with you so I wasn't all that worried…" She turned back around and continued working at that point leaving a very speechless me. Her tone had changed completely from last night! I glanced over at Kisa and almost laughed. Her entire face was a bright pink. It was so cute! I stopped myself again, wondering why this family was so happy because I showed a little kindness towards Kisa.

The "MOTHER!" that followed was probably a couple decibels higher than what Kisa had planned but it still got the point across. Her mother started laughing without turning around.

"I'm just teasing you dear! Now go upstairs until lunch is ready," her mother explained. Kisa's face gradually returned to normal.

"OK! Come on Hiro!" Kisa replied. I managed to throw my shoes into the proper place before I was hauled upstairs to Kisa's room. I can still hear her mother snickering as we left.

We watched Anime in Kisa's room until lunch. The entire time Kisa looked kind of nervous but I didn't question her about it. When her mother called, we plodded downstairs for lunch. It was just as good as yesterdays and afterwards I was pleasantly full yet again.

"Can I go over to Hiro's house TODAY mom?" Kisa asked the inevitable question.

"I don't mind, so long as Prince Hiro can get my little Princess home at a reasonable time…" Kisa's mother responded. It was my turn to blush but thankfully Kisa had already stood up and walked over to her mother.

Kisa gave her mother a giant hug and said thank you. My blush went away almost instantly as I felt a pang in my throat. Sometimes I wish I could hug my mother like that and still remain myself. Kisa walked over to my chair and held out her hand. I took it with mine and she pulled me up. Strangely she didn't let go of it once I was up though. Kisa's mother raised an eyebrow and started to stare at Kisa. I felt heat coming back into my face. Kisa just looked nervous.

I wouldn't have had time to move out of the way. It all happened way too quickly. Kisa said, "Thanks for everything that you have done for me but there is something that you really should know…"

I had just started to wonder about what she was talking about when her mother screamed, "Kisa! DON'T!" My eyes widened as Kisa lunged forward and pressed herself into me as hard as she could. Every bad thing I could think of happening flew through my mind in that instant as her arms wrapped around me. I went completely rigid in her arms. Oddly, I felt her do the same. Her mother just stood there, half-way out of her seat, staring at us in shock. All I could do was stare at the wall behind Kisa and wait for my viewpoint to get a lot shorter. Time stood still. For a brief moment we all were frozen in our positions. Something was wrong. Why wasn't I transforming? I looked down at Kisa. She had her eyes squinted shut as hard as she could, but she slowly began to open them, then look up at me questioningly.

"What happened?" Kisa blurted out. I suddenly started to think of something. I didn't transform when she hugged me. This either meant that she wasn't a girl, highly unlikely, or that she was a member of the Zodiac. If Kisa was a member of the Zodiac… that means that I wouldn't have to worry about her memory being erased if she accidentally hugged me! I could actually become friends with her! I started to smile without realizing it. Kisa didn't notice though and continued her train of thought, "But why didn't anything happen? I was supposed to…"

"Transform?" I completed for her.

Her head shot up to face me in a heartbeat and the question was already off her lips, "How did you know?"

"It's nice to meet you Kisa Sohma! My name is Hiro Sohma and my Zodiac is the Ram!" I exclaimed happily while looking into her eyes. I felt her loosen up tremendously in my arms after that was said.

Her eyes got quite a bit bigger and her face lightened up. Oddly she started to cry, but she was still smiling. Her mother was just shaking her head.

"I didn't have a clue you were a member of the Zodiac too!" she proclaimed. She started to smile. It would seem that the only reason she had been against allowing her daughter to go with me was that she was afraid Kisa would transform in front of me. I must say though I was rather curious as to what animal Kisa was so I voiced my question.

"I'm the Tiger!" Kisa happily said. She seemed overjoyed and I guessed that her reasons were fairly similar to my own.

* * *

**Hiro's House**

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With the information she now had, Kisa's mother had no problems with Kisa coming over to my house after lunch. This didn't stop me from coming up with several nasty tricks on the way there though. I explained a couple of them to Kisa and she was all for them. This was going to be great! 

When we got there, I left Kisa in the front entry way. I wandered into the living room area and my mother came around the corner to great me. Of course the usual questions came. How was school, did you have a nice day, did you learn anything new, etc… I patiently answered all of them because I knew Kisa was waiting just behind the door behind me, probably stifling her snickers. Then the question came. Mother looked up at the clock and noticed that school had actually ended an hour and a half ago.

"Did you have fun at your "friend's" house? When do I get to meet her?" she asked, laughing.

"I had a great time at my friend's house and you can meet her right now if you want…" I replied with great joy. Sometimes I think I have too much fun with pranks.

Her expression changed from casual laughter to true shock. I then shouted over my shoulder, "Kisa! You can come in now!"

The door creaked open and in stepped Kisa, wearing her cutest yellow dress and the largest smile I had ever seen her wear. She had insisted on changing before coming to my house saying she wanted to look her best for my mother. I just rolled my eyes and let her do her thing. Mother looked like she was going to pass out. It was great! I introduced my mother to Kisa. Then I continued to play along with it.

"You kept telling me to bring her home one of these days so you could see her. So I did!" I exclaimed happily. It was taking all of my strength not to burst out laughing.

"Um… I see. How long have you known Kisa?" she asked hesitantly.

"About four days. I actually brought her over here for a specific reason…"

Kisa feigned a questioning look to me perfectly and asked, "What do you mean? I thought you just brought me over here to meet your mom."

I turned back to my mother and stated, "Actually I brought her over here to show her. That way if she freaks out you can explain to her."

"WHAT!" my mother screamed.

"Show me what?" Kisa asked.

"This!" I said.

My mother lunged forward but it was too late! I had already slipped my arms over Kisa from behind and stood there hugging her. Both of us just stood there, smiling at my mother. My mother looked like she was in shock, waiting for the signature explosion followed by Kisa's scream of distress. It didn't happen though… Kisa and I just stood there smiling at her. After about ten seconds of intense staring back and forth Kisa and I couldn't take it any more. We broke up laughing. I fell over and Kisa slumped to the ground near my feet. My mother was still staring at where we were.

"How?" she asked, staring speechlessly at me.

"Let me do this again. Mother, I would like you to meet Kisa Sohma, The Tigress!" I introduced.

Kisa was still laughing. I just smiled at her. She looked like she was having so much fun. It made me feel better that I could help her be happy, although I don't know why.

My mother started smiling at Kisa. I helped Kisa up off the floor, and then we sat down at the dinning room table and told the long story about how we met. The story lasted until almost supper time and my mother offered to cook dinner for Kisa.

"Sure! I don't know when my mother deemed a "reasonable time" but I'm not sure if she actually cares now that she knows Hiro is a member of the Zodiac." Kisa replied.

My mother laughed. It was my turn to give the grand tour of MY house this time. Kisa was interested in all sorts of things around the house, I guessed that girls were more interested in that sort of thing, but she completely halted the tour when she got to my room. I had kind of thought she would after she saw my collection of Anime but I showed her anyway. We spent the rest of the time until supper previewing some of them.

My mother called us down about a half an hour later for supper and I thought it was as good as Kisa's mother prepared. I hope Kisa thought so too and it certainly looked like it after she was done eating. I couldn't resist…

"You know what mother? We might have a hard time getting Kisa to leave now that she has tasted your cooking…" I stated.

Kisa gave me the world's biggest grin. By the time we were done eating it was almost dusk. I decided that it would be a good idea to not upset Kisa's mother and get her home. I escorted her to her house and we stopped at the entrance to the walkway. She turned around to face me.

"Do you think that I could come over tomorrow and watch some of your Anime with you?" she asked so timidly that I had to smile.

"Sure!" I replied happily. She started to smile again.

"Hiro, are we friends?" she asked as we went up the driveway.

"Of course we are."

"Will we be forever?"

I nodded. She smiled again. Even in the dark I could tell her eyes were getting watery. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. I smiled at her then hugged her back.

"I hope so! See you tomorrow!" she shouted as she ran inside.

I stood there for I don't know how long. I then turned to walk down her walkway. This day was certainly full of surprises.

"I hope so too…" I said to myself as I walked off. I did my usual two-fingered wave as I left the yard and started the walk home in the dark.

"See you later Princess…"

* * *

**Chapter 1 – End!**

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Author's Notes: 

I originally wrote this as a standalone story for its sheer fluff and cuteness, but I decided that I liked it too much and made it into a multi-chaptered (Understatement of the Century) story instead. The rating is for later chapters however so it's quite safe to read for a while. Hopefully I'll get quality feedback which should "inspire" me to format more of the chapters for online use.

Keep in mind that this is an Americanized version and I have removed all the honorifics just to keep things simplistic. Well... until next time. –A.T.


	2. Revelations

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**Disclaimer**

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**Sadly, fate hasn't been nice enough to allow me to own any of the Fruits Basket Characters. They belong to Takaya-senpai...**

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**Chapter 2 – Revelations**

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**Everything was perfect. The pillows were in a nice "U" shape propped up against the backboard of the bed. The snack bowl was sitting in the middle of the bed, ready to be filled at a moments notice. The big screen TV was centered perfectly with the bed. The DVD player was ready to go with a wide selection of Anime to choose from on top of it. I stood near the bed and admired my work. My room was properly set up for Kisa to come over and spend the majority of the day watching Anime! I smiled. 

This was a regular ritual every Saturday. She would call after she got done eating, I would walk over to her house to pick her up, and then I would escort her back here. Her mother was extremely over-protective of her and refused to let her walk any great distance without an escort. I didn't consider the route between our two houses a "great distance" but apparently Kisa's mother did and I'm not one to argue with her. Since I had a reasonable understanding of martial arts and happened to be Kisa's best friend, I was usually nominated as that escort. Not that I mind or anything.

I quickly discovered over the course of that first summer that Kisa has almost a complete lack of self-confidence. She has improved drastically since I have been friends with her but she still has a long way to go. I don't mind helping her though and she is probably the only one that I would help so freely. I have discovered as well that I have a knack of not being able to say "no" of anything she requests. I'm still searching for an answer to why.

I heard the phone ringing downstairs. I closed my eyes and imagined what she was saying.

"Hi Aunty!" Kisa exclaimed happily in my mind. She had been calling her that ever since she found out we were both Sohmas. She is such a distant cousin that I don't really consider her family anyway.

"Why hello Kisa! What a pleasant… surprise?" Laughter would follow and I smiled thinking about it.

"I always call after lunch on Saturdays!"

"I know… Want me to send Hiro to go pick you up?"

"Of course! Thanks!"

I played through the usual conversation in my head. Sometimes Kisa could be rather predictable but I thought it was cute.

I had first met Kisa at the beginning of second grade. She was in third. It makes me a little upset that she is actually a year older than me but I can deal with it. Since this is the beginning of sixth grade for me it would be the start of middle-school for her. That makes it almost four years that I have known her for. She must be getting nervous about starting middle-school. She probably isn't half as nervous as I am though. It was another habit that I would pick her up after school and also walk her to school. She would wait for me at the end of her walkway in the morning and I would be waiting for her at the gates of her private girl's school in the afternoon.

Secretly I hated watching her go up the path to the main entrance. She would turn around at least three times on the way up to the door and look at me, as if gathering strength from my eyes. She had told me that she got teased a lot DURING school as well but made me promise not to tell anyone. It was worse than just not telling me. I was stuck between the surf and the jagged rocks now. The only thing I could do was make her time out of school the happiest that I could.

I heard my mother's footsteps coming up the stairs. In a few moments she would tell me to go and get Kisa. I did one final check around the room to make sure that everything was in its proper place. I heard the door creak open behind me. I turned to look who it was, not that I didn't know already.

"Hiro?"

"Yes mother?"

"That was Kisa on the phone"

"And what does she want?" I smirked.

"She says she isn't going to be able to make it today…"

Silence… Mother looked down at the floor. I went through a slight system shock. The only time she had done something like this is when she had the dentist appointment accidentally scheduled for Saturday. She was an hour late meeting me then. She looked really guilty when she arrived for accidentally making the appointment for the wrong day. I said that it was ok but I was a little irritated inside. Completely canceling the entire day though? What on earth was she doing?

After several moments I broke the uncomfortable silence, "What happened? Why can't she make it?"

"Well… Um…" was her response.

I got a little bit angry then. It wasn't like Mother to hesitate. "Well? Are you afraid to tell me or something?" I retorted rather nastily…

She looked at the floor again before continuing, "She said that she was invited to the movies and really wanted to go. She said that she would watch your DVD's tomorrow."

I felt my eyes narrow, "Who?" I struggled to control my tone and volume.

"Well… Haru invited her…" Mother spoke quickly and quietly.

The room dimmed. I almost told her to call Hatori because I thought my heart stopped right then and there. What was he doing pretending like he was better at cheering her up and protecting her than me? That fool…

"Are you upset?" My mother asked.

"Of course not! Why would I be upset that she wanted to go to the movies instead of watch Anime with me?" That came out far too defensive to be seen as true.

My mother nodded and walked out of the room. I collapsed onto my bed. Why? I could have gone to the movies with her. Why did she have to pick that stupid cow? I then realized that what I felt was jealousy… of Hatsuharu? Why? It's not like I was actually Kisa's boyfriend or anything. I was guilty though. I HAD started to think of myself as her boyfriend. This ground the reality in rather harshly though. She was going to the movies tonight with another guy, and she had canceled OUR plans to do it. I felt hurt but there wasn't much that I could really do.

I laid there looking up at the ceiling. Did I actually WANT to be her boyfriend? I found I had been asking myself that question a lot lately. I sighed. Then my imagination got the best of me. Hatsuharu was the Cow of the Chinese Zodiac. That means that he is cursed too and can technically hug Kisa without transforming. What if he actually did hug her? During the movie? What if he tried to kiss her? I felt more anger starting to build up. Then I stopped again. Why do I care so much if he kisses her? Because I would rather it is me kissing her? I guess that the problem was my viewpoint. I had always acknowledged that Kisa was a girl but I never really SAW her as one. She was always just my best friend. I sighed again. She was rather cute…

After a couple of moments of visualizing her I shook the image out of my head. It didn't help for long and I knew I would have to do something before I went mad. I got off the bed and turned on my laptop. Once it was started I accessed the internet and checked the time for the movie. What was I doing? She didn't actually invite me to go with her. I never should have thought that because it leads to other thoughts of why she wanted to be alone with Hatsuharu. Was I going to sneak into the theatre after them and watch? I couldn't do anything to stop it anyway… well not without seriously hurting Kisa's feelings. I finally decided that I would simply check up on her after the movie. That sadly left me six hours of nothing to do. I turned off the laptop and lay back down on the bed. I sighed for the third time and closed my eyes…

* * *

**Dreams and Nightmares**

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Darkness surrounded me. I couldn't see where I was going but it didn't matter. I just walked a strait line. I seemed to step out of the darkness all of a sudden, inky black tendrils of it still sticking to me as I emerged. I was in a playground. Not just any playground but the one close to my house that I used to take Kisa to. I heard laughter all of a sudden. I turned to my left to view the swing set. A boy that reminded me of myself was pushing a girl that looked like Kisa as high as he could into the air. 

"Higher!" the girl screamed happily.

"I'll try…" the boy replied.

I smiled. I never could get her much higher, I thought idly. The day grew cloudy as I continued down the path. Along with the clouds came a deep fog. It was so thick that I could barely see my hand in front of my face.

I walked for what seemed hours when a patch of fog off to my left cleared. A bench took shape out of the dull gray. Two shapes materialize on it. One is myself again and the other is, of course, Kisa. I seem to be talking with her although my hands are moving kind of nervously… I mouth a silent shout and point to my right. The fog clears away in a line revealing a lake with birds landing on it. Kisa leans forward and I can almost hear her laughing. I seem to lean forward too… although it looks rather artificial from my perspective. I then realize that my other self "accidentally" places his hand over Kisa's as he is leaning forward. I would never use such cheap tricks on Kisa! She seems to notice too as she glances down at my hand, and then smiles up at me. Smiles? My other self says something to her then leans forward and kisses her cheek. Her eyes get bigger as she still stares ahead, stunned. She then turns to me and smiles. She actually slides into me on the bench! She leans in closer and closer… Then everything stops… At this point I find myself trying to actually get closer to the vision to see better and feel slightly embarrassed even though I know nobody's around to see me. Suddenly, a bright streak of crimson with a burning purplish-black aura "impales" my image. My image starts to shift and distort until it becomes the form of… Hatsuharu? Kisa doesn't seem to notice however and continues to lean forward!

"NO!" I scream at the top of my lungs and realize that I actually did scream. Sitting upright quickly in bed I listen to the rain hitting the roof above me. I'm breathing heavily and can feel sweat coming off my forehead. A dream, I tell myself. I hear rapid footsteps approaching my door and futilely hope that it's Kisa.

My mother barges into the room and gives me a look between horror and concern before asking, "What on earth happened?"

"It was just a nightmare… don't worry." I replied, still trying to convince myself.

After my mother had left the room I looked at my watch. Ten minutes until the end of the movie! I begin to hurry…

* * *

**Shadows of Fog**

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The weather outside matched my recent dream and current mood. If I tried really hard I could see four feet. Stupid fog! I will have to practically breathe down Kisa's neck if I want to see anything at all! In an instant a bicycler shot out of the fog and almost ran me over! I dodged out of the way in time but it did NOT improve my mood. I pulled my light coat closer to me. It was my favorite gray coat. I thought it would blend in with the fog. Why did it have to be so cold? 

Thankfully I knew my way to the theatre. I wondered if Kisa and Haru even MADE it to the theatre with Haru trying to lead them through this fog. I silently laughed at my thought. As I approached the theatre I checked my watch again. It was almost time for the movie to end. I growled. Always too little time until the waiting began. I sat down on the bench across the street from the theatre. I had a vague yet misty view of the front of the theatre from where I sat.

It seemed like hours before anything happened. I sat there unblinking at what I could barely make out as the entrance for the theatre. That stupid blinking neon sign above the door was getting on my nerves. I was about to give up, assume my watch was wrong and that everyone had already left when people started to flow slowly out of the theatre. I dully noted that 60 of the audience was made up of little kids. What kind of show did they go to? Some date Hatsuharu… taking her to a kid's movie. I would be insulted.

My thinking was interrupted when they exited the theatre. Kisa was dressed in a Yellow overcoat with a small belt. She had put Yellow ribbons in her hair as well. I wanted to cry all of a sudden but only kids cry over such stupid things. Hatsuharu was wearing a blackish-gray trench coat with a white fur collar. As usual he had over-accessorized with several earrings, amulets and necklaces, and I could barely see an armband coming out of the sleeve of his coat.

Kisa was laughing when she came out. They seemed to be talking rather casually. They walked forward from the theatre and I got off my bench and moved backwards into the fog a little ways. I was getting ready to follow in whatever direction they chose to go in but they just sat down on that bench in front of the theatre. It suddenly looked a lot like the one from my dream and I had a strong desire to rush over and burn it, if Kisa hadn't already sat down on it… I listened very intently, trying to hear their conversation.

For an awkward minute or so, neither of them said anything. They just sat there on the bench glancing off into the fog. I made sure that I could barely see them. With my dull gray coat on I blended in rather nicely. I put my hood up to cover my hair.

Kisa broke the silence first, "I did have fun Hatsuharu but you did say there was a reason you brought me out here?" I felt my eyes narrow without my permission.

"Ha! Yes there was a reason I brought you here." He replied calmly. Several more moments of silence followed.

"I canceled my Anime night with Hiro because you said this was urgent. Please tell me…" Kisa added. I could almost detect impatience in her voice. I stopped myself from smiling. It was almost something I would say. I guess I HAD been rubbing off on her a little.

Haru hesitated, "Well I learned from a very reliable source that you were being teased in school again and I also heard that there were a couple of people trying to tease you after school as well…"

Kisa's eyes widen, "Who told you that?" I hope she didn't thing that I broke our promise.

"Actually it was your mother who expressed concern. She had told me not to worry about it for some reason but I couldn't help myself…"

Kisa smiled. "What were you going to do if I said that I was being teased?" I could have almost answered for Haru. He would simply go "black" and pound the…

"I would have escorted you and pummeled anyone that raised their voice against you."

Kisa snickered then before continuing, "Well don't worry about it. Hiro walks me there and back again every day and nobody messes with me when he's there."

"I should have known. Sorry about worrying you like this but I still kind of think of you as a little sister…" I almost fell over with a sigh.

Kisa laughed at that. "Why did you pick the movie theatre if that was all you wanted to tell me?" They had my attention again.

"Well I knew that you had canceled your date with Hiro so I figured you should at least have a little fun to replace it." Haru explained. I pondered. Date?

Kisa blushed. I could see the Pink of her cheeks through the fog. "Well it wasn't really a date but I still have fun there." A little pang found its home in my throat.

"I just hope you didn't tell him you were going to the movies with me…"

"Well I told his mother. She might have told him."

Haru shook his head. "I'm surprised he isn't here now then…" Was I really this predictable? I found I was annoyed with myself.

Kisa looked confused. Haru smiled and continued, "You know how protective he is of you." Kisa nodded. She noticed?

"Why would he be upset if I came to the movies with you though?" The pang decided that it needed a bigger house so it started construction.

Hatsuharu's eyes widened a little bit and he hesitated, "Well… Um… He probably would be worried you would get in trouble on the way over here. He might have felt bad that you didn't invite him as well." Was I really that easy to read?

"Well you told me to come alone so I did. You shouldn't worry about me so much though!" Kisa said, half laughing.

Haru put a hand on her head playfully. "I couldn't help it… the thought of you being teased was just too much. I will just ask from now on instead of dragging you away from your boyfriend." He commented adding a slightly teasing, playful tone onto that last part.

"Haru!" she exclaimed as she playfully punched him in the shoulder. I had heard enough. I decided to leave before my face got any redder. I think I stood up a little too fast because Kisa's head shot up to look in my direction. I quickly turned around to disappear into the fog…

* * *

**The Yellow Rose**

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I stared off into the fog. I could have sworn that I saw Hiro's face there a couple of seconds ago. Haru must have seen me looking. 

"What did you see Kisa?"

"I thought I saw Hiro's face in the fog."

"Guilty conscience maybe?" I felt like punching him in the arm again but it was kind of a true statement. I had never canceled on Hiro completely before. I wonder if he is mad at me.

Haru frowned. I suddenly realized that I never replied to his question! I turned back quickly to him and said, "No! Not at all…" He raised an eyebrow. "Well maybe a little…" I then continued.

He just smiled at me. "Well you could go see what he is up to now." I'm not sure if I wanted to face Hiro today.

"It's getting kind of late though. We wouldn't have time to watch even one movie before it was time for me to go home." I replied sadly.

"You don't HAVE to watch a movie. You could just talk with him you know." Why would Hiro just want to talk with me? I'm not that interesting… My thoughts came out as a shrug instead. He continued after a couple of seconds, "Want me to walk you home?" I was hungry and I wanted to get home before bedtime without taking the scenic tour of the city after dark.

"No. It's not that far from here. I won't have problems." I replied, trying to sound confident.

"Well if you're sure…" he answered hesitantly.

"Yeah. I will see you later Haru."

"See ya, Kisa!"

I began the walk home through the fog. It was so cold today but my coat helped a little. I pulled it tighter around me. I thought I saw a shadow flicker though the fog. It was probably just my imagination. Still I started to glance around me and quicken my pace. I wish Hiro was here. I wouldn't have even bothered looking. I would have just let him navigate the fog to my house. I sighed. He must think I'm so pathetic. I saw another shape move. I couldn't hold down the panic trying to fight though me. With a sharp intake of breath I broke into a run. I started to see shapes moving all around me. Everything became a blur as I ran, not quite sure which direction I was running in. anymore. It felt like someone was following directly behind me. I felt myself start to cry. That's when it happened. I ran, full pace right into something. Whatever it was let out a stifled exhale and went with me. It seemed that it was a person! I came down hard on them hoping that it wasn't a boy. I just lay there, cowering while waiting for the transformation to happen.

"Kisa?" I heard in a questioning voice. It sounded a lot like Hiro! I looked up then from the person's chest and saw that it was Hiro! I couldn't stop my sigh of relief. I sat up on him. He was still sprawled out on the ground. I must have knocked the air out of him when I ran into him. He did look rather cute laying there stunned like that.

"What happened?" he asked looking up at me from the ground. I wiped some of the tears from my eyes and he handed me another tissue. He said he had started carrying them around constantly just for me. I smiled and took it.

"I got myself worked up and panicked." I replied, embarrassed. He just smiled up at me.

"Well I was going to the store to get some groceries for my mother but I can walk you home first if you want?" he asked gently. I couldn't possibly accept that! It would add so much time onto his trip!

"Um… I don't want to make you do two trips so I can just walk with you to the store." I offered. I just felt better that Hiro was here, I didn't care how far I had to walk with him.

He smiled and nodded, "If you want to. You will have to get off me first though."

I felt my entire face heat up as I quickly stood up off him. How embarrassing! I looked down at the ground as he got to his feet. I felt a hand on my shoulder all of a sudden. I followed the arm and found Hiro smiling at me. "Are you sure you're ok?"

I nodded happily at him and followed after as he walked towards the store…

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**Silent Wishes**

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I'm actually kind of glad my mother sent me immediately back out to pick up groceries. I was irritated at the time but now… 

I was walking through the fog when I heard rapid footsteps approaching me and crying. I thought I recognized the crying so I peered thought the fog trying to find her. All of a sudden Kisa bolted out of the fog and collided with me. Most of the air decided that it would be best if they left my body at this time. I fell and hit the concrete sidewalk with my back. I managed to keep most of the impact off of my head but I was still stunned. Then to make things worse, she landed on top of me. There goes what was left of my air supply! After a couple of moments I was able to gasp more air into my lungs and noticed that she just lay there shaking. She must have been really scared. I put my arms around her trying to calm her down. She just froze there. I don't think she actually knew it was me… So I tried saying her name. It worked. She looked up into my face then smiled. Oddly she collapsed back onto my chest with a sigh. I began to wonder what scared her.

She sat up on me then and I noticed that she was crying again. Carrying tissues around is always a good idea when your best friends with Kisa. She can sometimes have a difficult time controlling her emotions. I withdrew one from my pocket, trying my best to ignore the fact that she was sitting on my stomach, and handed it up to her. She took it and smiled down at me. I explained about my errand and offered to bring her home. She looked sad then and said she didn't want to make me do two trips and would walk with me. I didn't mention that I had to go out of my way every time I picked her up for school or dropped her off afterwards. I had wanted to talk with her anyway so I agreed. My only problem was she was still recovering but didn't seem to be moving any time soon. I decided to try and bring it to her attention that I couldn't exactly get up with her pinning me to the ground.

She stood up rather quickly and after I followed I noticed her face was a cute pink color. She must be still out of breath from sprinting I tried to tell myself. It didn't work. I asked once more if she was alright. She nodded so I shrugged and started towards the store again. I heard her footsteps following behind me then approach my left side like she usually does. For a moment no one spoke and we simply walked in silence.

I decided to break the silence though, "Did you have fun at the movies with Hatsuharu?" I tried to sound as casual as I could.

She tensed almost immediately like she thought I would yell at her. I was actually almost the opposite, trying to hold back from laughing. Eventually she said, "It was ok, I guess…" I watched her in my peripheral vision, peek over at me nervously. I could have sworn she had told Hatsuharu that she had a great time. Why was she trying to act like she didn't?

"Don't worry; I'm not mad at you. I'm happy you have other friends…" I tried to say with the least amount of sadness I could gather.

She stopped walking. I was about to stop and turn around when I felt arms go over my shoulders and her hands lock together on my chest. I felt the familiar heat return to my face. "Thanks. I thought you would be a lot madder at me for canceling than this." She says happily.

I put a hand on hers and smiled. She releases me and walks around to my left. "We can just do our Anime night tomorrow if you wish. We will just have to cut it short because we will have school in the morning." I offer. She nods and we continue walking. Silence prevails over us. After a few more minutes we finally make it to the store. Kisa walks around the store with me as I am picking out the desired goods and when I am checking out. All mother needed was some milk and eggs. After leaving the store, we walk for a while in silence.

Why can't I just tell her? It's not like it would be that hard to say. Kisa, I like you, will you be my girlfriend? Just like that! The only problem is I can't seem to gather up the needed courage to do it. I never have been one to lack confidence but most things I do change when Kisa gets involved. I sighed. She stopped walking and looked at me. I hadn't meant to sigh out loud!

"What's wrong Hiro?" she asked sweetly.

"Um… I'm glad you had fun at the movies with Haru but… Do you? I mean do you think that you could invite me along next time?" There, I had said it!

She smiled then and I felt my face getting warm again. "Don't worry Hiro! I will be sure to invite you next time. Thanks for walking me home by the way!" I actually hadn't noticed that we had reached her house already. She started to walk up the walkway.

Tell her now! My mind was racing. I wondered what she would say. Would she laugh at me? Or would she give me that smile of hers and mirror my words? I closed my eyes and raised my head. "Kisa, I love you!" I said. There was nothing… Why didn't she say anything? Was she in shock? I slowly opened my eyes. No one was there, she had already gone inside. My head dropped slightly to stare at the gravel of Kisa's walkway. My timing was impeccable as usual. I mentally kicked myself and walked off into the fog…

* * *

**The Curse of the Oniguri**

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I will be brief since you know this portion of my story already. I didn't know how to tell Kisa so I decided to get permission first. I went to the head of our large family, Akito, and told her instead. I don't really know why she was so upset but she hurt Kisa really badly. It was my fault! If I hadn't told her, Kisa wouldn't have been hurt. I was supposed to protect her like a "prince" but instead I hurt her. She was in the hospital for two weeks. I couldn't face her so I did the only thing I could think of. I ran. I avoided her entirely. I heard rumors that she was being picked on in school again but I couldn't help her. I would just hurt her again. She was teased so much she stopped talking. Then she ran away from home. I was really worried about her. Much to my dismay, Hatsuharu was the one that found her after she ran away. He took her over to Shigure's place. She met Tohru Honda there. 

Tohru was pretty much Shigure's unofficial maid. She didn't have a place to stay so he had allowed her to stay there if she did some cooking and cleaning. I hadn't paid much attention to her really but the other Zodiac members seem to really like Tohru. She actually got Kisa to start talking again. I was happy for Kisa but I wish that I could have done it. I decided to see this Tohru person for myself. I dropped by her job. She works at the Sohma skyscraper that Momiji's father owns. I had only been there a couple of times. She didn't seem like that special of a person to me. Why did Kisa like her so much? I had let Kisa borrow one of my odder Anime to possibly preview before we watched it together. She took it directly to Tohru and watched the entire thing with her!

After I met her I borrowed one of her notebooks for a little while to find out more about her. She had a picture of her mother in the notebook and chased me all the way to the dojo in order to get it back. She is persistent, I'll give her that. At first Kyo gave me a hard time about it because he obviously likes Tohru but then Momiji had to run and get Kisa! I ended up telling Kisa why I was upset and she said that next time she would watch the anime with me. I also said that I was worried about her when I found out she was being teased again and she seemed shocked. Apparently after the accident she thought I had hated her because I was avoiding her so much. I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I caused the accident by telling Akito.

Kisa really likes Tohru so I bring her over to Shigure's a lot to hang out with her. I really don't like the girl but since Kisa does, I will tolerate her. I just wish that I could have helped Kisa as much as Tohru did. We actually went to the park together once, all three of us. I accidentally told Tohru some of what I had been feeling. Not being able to protect Kisa and be her "prince" and not being grown up enough to help her. Tohru said that I was quite grown up already and she couldn't believe that I was only in sixth grade. She also said that in order to admit that they're childish; a person must have a lot of courage. She thought that one day I would make a fine "Prince" for "Princess" Kisa. I decided to buy our Crepes after that. She wasn't too bad of a person I guess but she still is my rival for Kisa!

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**Chapter 2 – End!**

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**Author's Notes: 

This is my least favorite chapter. It seems... rushed and I can't really explain why entirely. I blame it on lack of detail for now just so it doesn't drive me more insane then I already am. The ending I do like however as it tells basically what happens in the first volume that he's introduced in only from HIS point of view which makes me laugh. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and... until next time. -A.T.


	3. Happiness

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**Disclaimer**

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Again, fate hasn't been nice enough to allow me to own any of the Fruits Basket Characters. They belong to Takaya-senpai...

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**Chapter 3 – Happiness**

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It was rather irritating really. It seemed everyone BUT Kisa knew! I think Momiji could always tell because he has an odd way of looking through someone's façade into their very soul. This ability somewhat mimics Tohru's but he uses his for purposes that aren't the most noble sometimes. Stupid rabbit… Luckily his trickery never got very far. 

Tohru was somehow worse. She attempts to actually play matchmaker sometimes. Thankfully Kisa didn't suspect anything because she absolutely adores Tohru. I can't even fend off Kyo anymore because he just says he will go tell my girlfriend I'm misbehaving. Most of the other Zodiacs just accept it and have moved on.

Still, overall things were much better. I still haven't told Kisa about the Akito incident but she's back to hanging out at my house. Our ritual of Saturday's Anime still stands. She seems to have forgiven me for ignoring her for such a long time even though she doesn't understand why.

I've just finished 7th grade and am moving on to 8th. My last year of middle school is coming up. The only problem is that Kisa will be moving on to high school at the end of summer. She will be going to the same one that Tohru goes to, no surprises there, and will be FAR off my usual route. I won't be able to walk her to and from school anymore. Haru teased me and said he would take over for a year for me.

Kisa's self-esteem has improved greatly over the years I have known her and I like to think that it's BECAUSE of me. Sometimes I think I'm only kidding myself though. Our relationship has improved drastically though and she's about as comfortable around me as this current level of intimacy would allow. It's rare to find the secret she won't tell me. I keep them all proudly to myself though.

I do find myself scared to move on with our relationship because it's impossible to go back. If I screw up that's it. No more friendship at all. That's what scared me the most. I think these thoughts as I watch her. She's still in her school uniform. We had just finished our finals and I decided to treat her to an ice cream cone in the park. She is casually licking the top of the cone but every once in a while she would twirl her tongue around the scoop to prevent it from dripping. I was so mesmerized by this that my cone was leaking like a sieve. I noticed when it hit my hand and I quickly started licking at it. Her giggling soon followed and I remembered that now isn't the time to be worrying about next year. All of summer was ahead of me and I planned to spend as much time as possible with Kisa.

We sat down on the small park bench near the lake. Kisa stares across the lake with a weird, dreamy look in her eyes. She had already finished her cone and was waiting for me to finish. I heard a small child start a tantrum in the background. Little kids were always so noisy! I glanced over at Kisa to see if it bothered her too but she was smiling. I finished up my cone with a crunching noise and Kisa glanced back towards me still smiling. I smiled back at her and she giggled. Why was she giggling?

She stood up all of a sudden and stretched. I took that moment to watch her from the bench. She still kept her hair in the same style as she did in middle school but she typically added ribbons and jewels to it now. I couldn't complain though because mine certainly hadn't changed much. It didn't matter though. She would always look beautiful to me. I must have stared at her for too long because she glanced over her shoulder at me.

"Are you coming Hiro or are you just going to sit there all day enjoying the view?" she asked with a little laugh. I will just pretend that she was talking about the lake.

I stood up and we started walking towards the parks main exit. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining overhead and birds were everywhere. I glanced to my left and as usual, found Kisa. The sun was shining off of her hair and she was smiling as she absorbed the sights. I would probably be happy just remaining in this moment forever.

She glanced over towards me finally catching my eyes. I have got to learn to stop staring at her for minutes at a time! "My mother told me something today."

"Oh?" I inquired.

"Yes. She told me that there is a large convention going on in England. It's a large tour of a historical castle…" she informed me. She was teasing me again.

"Interesting…" I replied, teasing right back.

She gave in. "Don't you wanna know how this is important?" she asked.

"I was assuming that you were getting to that part."

She stuck her tongue out at me. "She has decided to go to it! It's going to take four whole days to get over there, see the castle completely, and then get back!"

"Well that's awfully cool!" I exclaimed with a smile, and then added, "I hope she has fun. She likes that kind of thing doesn't…" I stopped there when I realized something. Kisa might be going with her! That means that there would be no Kisa for a total of four days! I don't think I hid my shocked thoughts very well because Kisa tilted her head at me with a questioning glance.

"You stopped. What's wrong?"

"Um… are uh… YOU going to the convention too?" There was a little too much of my worrying visible in that question for my liking.

She laughed then blushed slightly, "Um… no. It's not really my thing so why waste money?"

I could hardly believe it. Kisa would be alone in her house for four days! "Wow. Four days alone in your house… I wonder if it will still be standing by the time your mother returns." I smiled as I said it.

"Hey!" Kisa exclaimed. She punched me in the shoulder then giggled at my look of feign injury. "I at least know how to cook and clean!" she retorted. Ok, that one hurt my pride a little bit.

I glanced away from her and down slightly. She raises her hand to her mouth like trying to block anything else from coming out. I did deserve it but it was a rare thing to hear an insult come out of Kisa's mouth. I turned away and walked onward towards the gate. A couple seconds later I heard the usual "pat" sound her shoes make in the dirt and she rushes up to my side again. I hear a timid, "Sorry…"

I turn to look at her again. She is searching my eyes for my feelings. I smile. "It's ok. Not like I didn't deserve it."

Her concerned look melts away into a smile. It was always so cute when she thought she did something wrong. We walked the rest of the way in a warm, comfortable silence. I dropped her off at her house before heading over to mine. I wanted to get something to eat before Kisa was done eating and decided to call.

As I walked home I wondered about the convention. What would Kisa do by herself for that long? It would drive me insane if I had nothing to do for four days. I finally arrived at my house to find my mother gardening outside. My little sister, Hinata, was playing in her pen in the shade of a tree in our yard. I leaned up against the side of the house and watched my mother pulling up weeds.

"How was your day dear?" she finally asked after uprooting a particularly irritating weed.

"Excellent!" I replied happily. She looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. I rarely answered excellent so I guess she translated it into something else besides school was excellent. And by something else she probably assumed Kisa.

"Really? You sound really happy today? What's up?" she inquired. I had guessed right. She was on to me…

"I need a reason to be happy?" I replied sarcastically.

"Well no. But there usually is a reason with you."

"HA! Well Kisa was telling me of this convention her mother was going to…" My mother smiled at my mention of Kisa.

"What kind of convention?"

"It's supposed to be a tour of a really old castle in England or something."

"Really?" She looked up at me with a curious gleam in her eye. I foresaw a problem.

"Um… Yeah…"

"When is she leaving?" Oops. I knew I forgot to ask something.

"She didn't tell me."

"Hmm… I will have to talk to her about it as soon as possible."

"Oh?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. I have always had an interest in old castles…" She replied. Ok, now I definitely saw a problem. Assuming she took my sister with her that still left me with the house and myself to take care of. Kisa may have said it in a joking manner but that didn't mean her evaluation of my cooking and cleaning skills was entirely inaccurate. I might have to enlist the aid of Tohru. I shuddered in my head.

Mother apparently had read my thoughts because in her next breath she said, "Although it might be rather hard for you to take care of the house while I'm gone." She only said house. That means she would be taking my sister with her, hopefully… I glanced back at Mother and noticed she looked disappointed.

I thought I might as well get my martyrdom over with. "You could always ask Tohru if she could come over and help me."

My mother seemed to think about this for a couple of seconds before raising her head. She looked like she was about to say something when a voice came from atop our wall.

"Kisa can cook and clean. Besides, that would give them good practice for when they get married!" rang out a mocking voice. I silently growled.

Both my mother and I turned towards the wall. As I suspected, Momiji sat on top of the wall in the branches of the tree. He descended when we noticed him.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that eavesdropping is a very bad thing to do?" I almost snarled, still a little upset over the husband/wife comparison to me and Kisa.

"It's not bad if the listener is trying to help." He stuck his tongue out at me. I had the sudden compulsion to pelt him with rocks from the garden.

I didn't really want to burden Kisa with my problem when she would have to clean her own house and cook for herself as well. "Kisa has to take care of her own house. Tohru would be a much better candidate." I explained icily.

Momiji smiled. "Do you realize how many boys would be completely lost at that house without Tohru there?"

He had a point. Shigure did absolutely nothing except lounge around and casually write things. Yuki could repair things but not at the rate that Kyo can destroy them. Kyo can cook but compared to Tohru's cooking his left something to be desired. I had also heard that Kagura was visiting so that meant even more cataclysmic destruction than usual. I couldn't come up with anything to disprove that.

We stood there staring at each other. I had an icy glare and he had a snide smile. My poor mother was caught in-between us and probably could see the sparks. She was just looking back and forth between Momiji and myself. Even my usually loud baby sister shut her mouth and was just staring. This went on for almost half a minute.

"Besides, if Hinata is staying home, Kisa does really like her."

My mother smiled at the thought. Kisa had held my sister on several occasions. Kisa was a natural and had been able to quiet her each time. My mother thought she looked adorable holding my sister. I wasn't able to take my eyes off her. Unlike Kisa I would never be able to hold my sister without transforming, for my sister wasn't a member of the Zodiac. This did make me rather sad but my sister seemed to have an affinity for sheep so it wasn't that bad I guess… Momiji knew my mothers feelings on Kisa and my sister and now he was playing them off against me. Not that it mattered because I was out of firepower.

"Why don't you go inside and make yourself a sandwich before Kisa calls. Try not to cut yourself this time though." my mother finally said after she snapped out of her daze. Momiji immediately started to grin but I didn't wait long enough for his response and stormed inside. I never knew a day could turn so badly, so quickly! I felt like screaming. I sighed once I was inside. Stupid rabbit…

I decided on just ham and cheese this time and quickly threw the sandwich together. I pulled out the knife from the drawer and carefully cut the sandwich diagonally. I left one half on the kitchen table and wandered upstairs, munching as I went. I started to prepare my room for Kisa's arrival. I put the snack bowl in the traditional spot in the center of the bed and lined the pillows up in a "U". By the time the sandwich half was gone; all I had left to do was line the TV up with the bed. I was standing back and checking the position when I heard footsteps enter my room. No knock? It wasn't my mother or Kisa.

"You know, you could probably get a lot friendlier with her if you didn't put the snack bowl between you and her." The voice behind the comment attempted to mimic wisdom but I knew better. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out before turning around.

"What do you want exactly Momiji?" I asked snidely.

"Only to help out a friend in dire need of good advice." My eyes narrowed.

"To what end?" I replied.

"To win the heart of your fair maiden."

"Who says I want to win her heart?" I was trying to remain calm which is no easy feat when it comes to Momiji. I agreed with Kyo in that case.

"Your actions speak very clearly young prince…"

Death! Only a select number of people in the world could call me a prince in a mocking tone. Momiji, needless to say, wasn't one of them. He knew in a head to head fight he wouldn't win though. Even though he is older than me he is still smaller than me. He also had no training what-so-ever in martial arts. On the other hand I have several years of training behind me. I started walking towards him slowly. Momiji was far more skilled at reading peoples emotions than I was however and knew he had crossed my line. He shrugged casually and retreated out the door. I stopped. He wasn't worth chasing today.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and tried a few deep breaths. I calmed myself down to the point where I could think again and glanced at the snack bowl. I moved it up on top of the mountain of pillows and stared at its new position for a little bit. Reaching above us to get snacks could be hazardous. Kisa would also ask about its changed location in which I wouldn't be able to explain. I sighed and set it down in the middle again. In defeat I wandered downstairs. I went to the cutting board to retrieve the other half of my sandwich. It was missing… In its place was a note.

"Try moving it into your lap and pretending to dig through it for a specific snack." It was written in elegant handwriting. Below, in much smaller print was, "Payment for the sandwich. –Momiji"

I crushed the note in my now shaking hand. Curse that rabbit! Why was he so observant and I wasn't? I sighed and threw the note away. I sat there in the kitchen being miserable for a little while until the phone rang. I walked over and picked up the receiver.

"Sohma residence, Hiro Sohma speaking…" I never wanted to risk that my guess at who it was would be wrong.

"Hi Hiro!" I smiled and closed my eyes. The only person in the world that would say that in the cute and excited tone which I just heard was Kisa.

"Hey Kisa. Want to be picked up now?"

"Yes!"

My mother rushed in from the yard. "Can you ask Kisa to put her mother on?" I noted that mother wasn't afraid of just assuming who was on the phone. Of course my expression probably had given it away.

"Hear that Kisa?"

"Yeah, I will go get ready, give me a second to get my mom."

I handed the phone over to my mother before wandering out the door. I wondered how Kisa was going to take being drafted into helping me. I sighed and walked on.

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**Oww…**

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I was still rather irritated when I reached Kisa's house. Momiji typically takes a lot of energy out of me and I hadn't really eaten anything. My stomach was growling by the time I started walking up Kisa's walkway. I sighed at my luck today and hoped it improved just a little before we started watching Anime. Kisa's mother was standing on the porch waving at me. I did one of my usual two-fingered waves due to a lack of energy and continued towards the house. 

I stopped when I thought I heard something. It sounded like giggling. From above me though? Kisa's mother looked up. I heard a small tree branch snap above. I managed to get a sigh off before she landed on my back. In my current condition I might not have been able to simply carry her on my back, let alone brace for the impact as she landed on it. I almost wished I could have seen her face when she kept going downward…

As a personal note, ground tastes horrible. As a more personal note, ground mixed with a coppery aftertaste is worse. My back hurt from where she hit, both palms hurt from where they scrapped along the gravel, my knees hurt when they were driven into the gravel, my ankles would definitely hurt in the morning, and I almost got a rock shoved up my nose. I could also taste a bit of blood in my mouth. I probably bit my tongue when my jaw hit the ground. No… luck definitely was out to kill me today… and it had a fine head-start.

I heard a scrambling closely behind me and the weight disappeared off my back but I didn't feel like moving yet. Instead I simply lay there wondering if I should try to continue my original mission or just take a small nap. I heard my name shouted from the porch and rapid footsteps coming towards me.

"Oh no! What happened Hiro?" Kisa's voice from above me somewhere.

I felt like saying, "You crushed me into the dirt using your body weight and velocity!" but it came out as "Oww…" instead…

Finally gathering up enough energy I decided to try and roll over. I wished I had chosen the nap instead afterward. My legs and arms throbbed. I saw that there was blood on both my knees and palms. I also felt a warm trickle go down the side of my face from my nose and mouth. I didn't feel that any of the injuries were too devastating to my life but I must have looked like a mess. Kisa's eyes went quite wide as she stared down at me. She also turned a couple of shades whiter. Her mother was half-way to me when she stopped.

"I will go get the medical kit!" She screamed as she turned around and ran back inside. Kisa slumped to her knees still looking at me with huge eyes. I sighed and fisted my right hand. I then used it to push myself into a sitting position. Kisa put a hand on my shoulder as if to tell me to lie back down.

"I don't think the wounds are that bad Kisa." I tried to tell her. I turned away from her and spit some blood out onto the walkway. I then wiped it away from my nose and mouth. Warmth began to run down the side of my face. One of the rocks must have clipped me in the head. I growled and wiped it up too. After a closer examination of my hands I realized that the larger rocks were only stuck to my hands and brushed them off. Only a couple of the smaller rocks had actually broken the skin. I pulled each of those out individually. The skin only had minor damage underneath. It should be healed up completely in a couple of days. The knees didn't look so good. I dusted them off and most of the rocks just fell off. I couple of the bigger ones stuck though. I shook my head and pulled the two out of my left knee and the only one out of my right. I only winced slightly with each rock. Those wounds would take a little while longer to fully heal I had a feeling. Kisa didn't do silly or stupid things very often but she did excel at them when she chose to. Of course I don't really blame her. Under my normal conditions I would have been able to catch her and still carry her to the porch.

I glanced back towards her. Her eyes had gotten completely teary and a small trickle came out of each eye and down her cheek. I smiled and tried to wipe away some of the tears, forgetting about the blood on my hands. There was a smear of my blood now going across her right cheek. I sighed and used my shirt instead. Why did I have to wear white today? My thought processes were cut short however when she buried her face in my shirt and started crying. Stupidly I patted her on the back and got blood on the yellow T-Shirt she was wearing as well as sending a flare of pain up my arm. She didn't seem to notice though.

Upon further inspection I found she was also wearing shorts. I checked her knees to make sure they didn't get injured. Nope… looks like mine took the majority of the damage, to my relief. I still brushed the dirt off which cause Kisa to look up at me. I slipped my fingers into my pocket and smiling, withdrew a tissue for her eyes. She shook her head at me. "You can be so silly sometimes Hiro…"

I almost laughed! Me? She's the one that landed on me from the tree… "Where did you get the idea to pounce on me from the tree?"

"I just wanted to surprise you. I thought you would just catch me though."

"I think your plan worked. Normally I would have caught you but I have had a really bad day since you left and very little to eat…"

She smiled. I suddenly realized how that had come out. Oh well… "We can feed you if you want. I already ate but I'm sure I could borrow the kitchen and make something for you."

Usually she just let's her mother cook when she's available. She must be feeling guilty for crushing me into the walkway… I shrugged. "Just as long as I can get food somewhere… I had made myself a sandwich but Momiji stole half of it before I could finish." She laughed.

"I realize where you had the bad day from now… Did you cut yourself this time?" She starts inspecting my hands but then realizes that it would be impossible to tell what cuts I made previously and what were made from the gravel in the walkway. Her mother took that moment to come back out of the house carrying a large medical kit. Probably a good thing because I felt the warmth starting to come down my face again.

She reached me and hurriedly threw open the case. She seemed to be panicking. "It's ok! The wounds aren't that bad!" I told her. She continued working but seemed to slow down a little bit. Kisa accessed the kit too and both of them went to work bandaging me. After a couple of minutes my hands were all wrapped up, I had a bandage on my head, and my knees were wrapped. I was feeling better under the expert attention of my two nurses and tried to stand. Kisa immediately took my right arm and her mother my left. They helped me to my feet. I sighed and dusted my shorts off. My stomach took that moment to release a rather large growl. Kisa's mother blinked a couple of times and Kisa started giggling. I looked down at the ground and idly stared at one of my small bloodspots.

Kisa's mother smiled then. "Let's get you inside and feed you at least after that traumatic experience." Kisa joined me in looking at the ground.

I followed her mother in to the house. Kisa looked down at the blood on the ground before following at a slower pace. By the time Kisa got inside her mother was already cooking so she sat down at the table next to me. I had laid my head down on my arms and was trying to get rid of my headache. I tasted copper again so I withdrew a tissue and used it to mop up my lips and mouth. I dabbed my nose just in case but it looked like it had stopped bleeding already. I bent behind me to throw the tissue into the garbage and felt a twinge of pain go up my back. I slumped slightly but still managed to drop the tissue into the basket. When I turned back around Kisa was looking at me with a sad expression. I laid my head down on my arms again and watched her. Kisa mimicked my posture without tilting her head and just stared into my eyes. Not only was she capable of reading emotions from the eyes but sending them as well. She looked so sad that I wanted to cry. I tried smiling at her.

"It's ok… no permanent harm done…" I said. She half-smiled but there was still the sadness in her eyes.

Her mother just glanced over at us and shook her head. She had commented on our ability to communicate without words before. She didn't understand how we could know what one another was thinking with a glance. I didn't either so I couldn't have explained it. I just looked at Kisa and knew.

Kisa just watched me as I was eating the excellent lunch her mother had prepared for me. It was kind of embarrassing to have someone just stare at you the entire time you're eating. I tried smiling at her several times. She only smiled briefly in return but never diverted her eyes, nor actually said anything. I wished she wouldn't look at me like that. It meant she still felt bad about what she did to me. I never liked it when Kisa was sad.

I finished eating then and thanked her mother for the food. She said it was the least she could do after what happened. I wished that she would just stop talking about it before Kisa's mood was set to sad for the rest of the day. Kisa went upstairs to change out of her T-Shirt. I calmly waited outside her door for her to come out. We walked downstairs and I nodded to her mother before heading out of the house, Kisa in tow.

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**Surprises**

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My knees felt like they were on fire. The sun was still shining down from above but unlike earlier, somehow it made everything worse. Kisa was completely silent during the entire walk so far. It was starting to bug me. I sighed. The limited range of motion that the bandages gave me followed by the pain each time I moved my knees was starting to be a bit much and we were only three-fourths of the way there. I sighed inside when I felt my left leg give and I stumbled slightly. 

Kisa was in her normal position to my left though and caught my arm. She slid my arm over her shoulders and around her neck to support my weight. We walked the rest of the way like that. I felt useless. If she were to come under attack about the only thing I could do is shout insults at the attackers. We turned to go into my driveway.

I started to wonder what I had done to deserve today when I noticed that Momiji was hanging around the garden still, talking with my mother. After careful analysis of the situation I sadly noted that he had acquired a camera and I had presented him the ultimate target for a picture. Here I was standing at the end of the walkway with Kisa supporting most of the weight on my left side, looking like I had lost three fights in a row, and Kisa looking like she was ready to cry.

I didn't even blink when the flash hit us. I felt Kisa sigh. Momiji was just holding the camera at waist level and took the picture from there. He face still held the look of shock at me. What does he do, take the picture by reflex first without actually needing to think about it? He then broke into laughter.

Mother looked up at him when he took the picture with a questioning look on her face but then he started laughing and she turned around. I felt like I wanted to lie down in the dirt and die. Mother just stared at me with a shocked expression on her face. All of a sudden Kisa started walking again. She was still holding my arm and I had to move somewhat quickly to re-align myself with her. Her path was strait and she went directly up to the door. Momiji was standing in front of us.

"Haha! What caused this Kisa? Did you get upset and beat Hiro up? Don't turn into a Kagura now…" Momiji taunted with a laugh.

"Please just move out of the way Momiji…" she said looking down again. I didn't have to look to know she was crying again.

Momiji looked shocked. I guess he didn't realize how close to the truth he had actually gotten. He stepped aside and we went into the house. Kisa managed to get me onto the couch before slumping down. I noticed she was breathing hard. I patted her affectionately on the head. She looked up at me with tears still in her eyes. Momiji wandered into the room. He had apparently realized that she was actually upset and had dropped his stupid tease routine. I didn't care if he was in the room at this point. I grabbed a tissue from the dispenser on the table next to the couch and started wiping Kisa's eyes. She smiled at me then.

"Stop this. I forgave you a long time ago. I actually wasn't that upset to begin with. Seeing you cry like this makes ME sad so please cheer up a little…" I tried to say in a calm voice. Momiji started smiling again but this time it was a soft smile. Kisa set her head down on my arm and just sat there.

My mother had followed Momiji in I realized and was now smiling at my little display of affection. I found myself warm in the face again with such a large audience. Momiji and my mother both took a seat in one of the chairs around the room.

"Ok, what happened?" My mother said at last.

I looked down at Kisa but she was still just sitting there with her head on my arm. I guess I was supposed to narrate. "Kisa decided that she would surprise me when I got there so she climbed up into a tree and hid. I wasn't paying much attention because I was rather hungry by the time I got there and didn't have much energy…"

"I told you to eat a sandwich before you left!" my mother interrupted.

"Well I got half of one in me before someone ate the other half!" I gave Momiji a glare and suddenly he was looking everywhere BUT at me. My mother shook her head.

I continued, "Anyway… I heard giggling from above me all of a sudden and a branch snaps. I think, "Oh no" before she lands on my back." I give Kisa a small nudge. She looks up at me but this time she's still smiling. I wipe her eyes some more with the tissue I'm still holding onto before moving on.

"Normally I could have caught her and carried her to the porch like was intended. Today however, due to the lack of energy I was just kind of smashed into the ground. Sadly I was still over the gravel walkway when this occurred. She did a nice job of bandaging me afterwards though…" I finished. Kisa's face brightened considerably at my favorable telling of the story.

Momiji started laughing. Stupid rabbit, I thought. "Beat up by a girl! And Kisa no less!" he shouted out mirthfully.

"You would have snapped like a twig…" I snidely retorted.

"I wouldn't have been careless enough to not notice her in the tree…"

"I was low on energy! I can't be as alert if I'm hungry…"

"Don't you always think about food anyway?"

Kisa and my mother were looking back and forth between Momiji and I at this point.

"No! I'm not you!" I thought mostly about Kisa… not food. I felt my anger rising.

"You had plenty of time to dodge out of the way. You said you had noticed her way before she dropped!" Momiji responded calmly.

"What do you think I am? Stupid? Why would I just let Kisa hit the ground and get…" Oops… I suddenly realized the entire goal of our "argument" when he started smiling. Some days I really hated Momiji…

I risked a nervous glance down at Kisa. She was looking up at me with stunned eyes. We just stared at each other for a couple of moments. I stood up then and headed towards the stairs. I didn't care if my knees fell off anymore. Refusing to look at anyone, I started my climb picturing the questioning looks I must have been getting.

I collapsed onto my bed. Stupid rabbit! I felt like screaming loud enough to shatter the windows. Well I guess that I would find out how she felt shortly. This was too premature though! Kisa didn't like me like that. I just enjoyed spending time with her even though it drove me crazy sometimes. Now we wouldn't even be able to be friends! I made a mental note to never speak with Momiji again. My world then burned away into darkness…

I floated through the darkness that was my world. Images of Momiji laughing and Kisa crying bombarded me. Listlessly I accepted they're attacks, feeling that staying in this purgatory must be better than facing Kisa's actual feelings… One of the images of Kisa stopped crying all of a sudden and looked up at me. She started to smile. I simply watched to see what would happen. She walked towards me. Something was different about her. She was dressed differently than the rest of the Kisa's… She was wearing a white, flowing dress as compared to the other's black, school uniforms. There was also a supernatural glow that seemed to come off her. The aura burned into the darkness. I stared into her eyes. She was so bright! I almost looked away. Her aura extended out from her back and almost became feathered wings. She was beautiful! She reached towards my shoulder with her right hand. As she neared me the light surrounded me completely. I wondered if I had died… She was smiling at me. Her dress started to change all of a sudden. It shifted into a tan pair of shorts and a white T-Shirt… Her hand touched my shoulder.

My eyes opened. Kisa was standing in front of me with the window at her back. She was smiling at me like it was still my dream.

"Are you awake now?" she asked quietly. I managed a nod.

"What Anime do you have lined up for us today?" she inquired happily. She still wanted to stay here and watch Anime after what I just let slip? Maybe it wasn't a big shock to her like I thought it would be. She already commented that I was overprotective of her to Hatsuharu if I could remember correctly. Maybe she just thought that what I had said was another instance of that overprotection. I was almost sad… I didn't let it show on my face though!

"They're up on top of the DVD player like usual… Take your pick." I pointed. She spun around and started looking at all of the cases. I let out a sigh of relief. She turned around briefly and smiled at me before continuing to look at DVDs.

* * *

**The Sleeping Angel**

* * *

Of course she had picked the funny ones first. They were her favorites. This was our THIRD movie we were watching! It was getting awfully close to 10:00p.m. and I knew her mother was lenient during the summer but I don't think there will be a fourth movie. Kisa is to my right now, her favorite side of the bed when we were watching Anime. She was munching on a chip and giggling in between bites. I almost laughed as crumbs were falling down her shirt. I had seen this movie before and thought, correctly I guess, that Kisa would like it. We had stupidly refilled our snack bowl though and there were FAR too many snacks in it for what was left of the movie. I reached my right hand over and started digging around through it for one of those chocolate, cream-filled cakes. 

After about half a minute of digging Kisa noticed and laughed. I got frustrated and picked the bowl up with my left hand while sorting through it with my right. It was about four inches from my face so I could actually SEE the treats in the dark. This should improve my search results! It worked, kind of… It still took me another twenty seconds or so to find one of the chocolate cakes. Kisa's hands closed on the right side of the bowl. I glanced over at her and she was peeking over the rim of the bowl looking for another snack. It was so cute I had to laugh. She smiled up at me while tilting her head. Eventually she dug her right hand into the bowl to get the snack she spotted. I patiently held the bowl until she was done. She then retreated from the bowl with a chocolate cake like mine. Kisa must have liked my idea of the cake I thought.

I set the cake back down in my lap and went to set the bowl back down. There was a slight problem that I had encountered though that I didn't expect. There was no room to set the bowl down. When Kisa went to dig through the bowl she apparently slid over to do it. There wasn't a gap anymore between her left leg and my right. She didn't seem to notice though and sat there munching her cake while laughing at the movie. I silently shrugged and set the bowl down in my lap instead. I then went to reposition my arm and found that our shoulders were touching as well. I sighed inside and just put both arms up on the pillow rims instead. I then remembered what Momiji had said in his note and it irritated me even more. How can anyone think that entire scenario out in their heads?

About a half an hour later the movie was almost over with and my mother decided to interrupt. She patiently waited until I had grabbed the remote with my left hand and paused the video. While I was blindly searching for the remote I noticed my mother giving us a funny look. Kisa was still watching the video and not paying the least bit of attention to my mother. Why was she looking at us strangely? I then remembered our new positions. Normally when she comes in both of us were sitting with the snack bowl between us, our hands in our laps or munching on snacks, and just watching. This time however the snack bowl was in my lap, Kisa was pushed into me with no space in between us, and my arms were on the rims of our pillow mountain. As I paused the video I realized with more than a little horror that I had just assumed that last part. My arm seemed to have slid down and was now resting on Kisa's shoulders! Neither of us had noticed? I was still in shock when my mother started talking.

"It's almost 10:30pm and we have a problem." She said at last.

"And what would that be?" I was truly at a loss. I couldn't possibly see any problem with the current situation.

"How is Kisa going to get home?" she asked. Kisa glanced over at her with a questioning look, still not noticing my arm.

"Um… I will walk her home like I usually…" I looked down at my knees. Kisa did the same. Oh…

"Walk there AND back again, at night, with no additional assistance?" My mother asked rather skeptically. I continued looking at my knees and frowned. Kisa seemed lost in thought.

"I suppose you could take her home instead…" I recommended. I didn't like the thought of not being able to escort Kisa but I didn't want her walking by herself.

Kisa, ever worried about my sister, "But what if something happens to your daughter! Hiro won't be able to do anything!"

We all sat there in thought for almost a minute. Kisa looked up slightly at my mother, and then to me. "Um…" She started blushing? Did she finally notice my arm? "Maybe I could spend the night here instead?" The question had caught me completely off guard. I was literally incapable of saying anything. This was the first time Kisa has asked to spend the night here!

"That's an excellent idea dear! I will go put a phone call in to your mother!" my mother exclaimed happily.

I looked over at Kisa. She was smiling at me. She then leaned her head back and sighed. If she was looking at me she would have noticed my eyes expand greatly. She had just set her head on my arm! I gulped inside. She didn't do anything? I'm only slightly confused now. She must have noticed!

A few minutes later my mother came back into the room. "She says that it's a great idea if you help me take care of Hiro tonight. She seemed really worried about him." I almost laughed. I had expected as much. Kisa nodded. Mother continued, "I'm sure my daughter wouldn't mind if I set up the folding bed in her room."

Kisa smiled but looked down slightly. My mother raised an eyebrow. "Um… do you think that I could be a little closer to Hiro than that? I want to be able to hear him if he needs something in the middle of the night." It was really my night for surprises. Kisa looked over at the couch against my wall. "If you get me some blankets and a pillow I can sleep there." IN my room! I resisted shouting… I don't think that she felt that guilty about what she did. Why did she care so much? Did she like me?

Mother started to smile at Kisa. I felt a little dizzy actually. "If you want to I won't stop you. Then again it's ultimately up to Hiro…" Both Kisa and Mother directed their attention at me. I was still trying to catch up with the conversation. It was all happening way to quickly for me to follow!

"Do you mind Hiro?" Kisa asked sweetly. System shock has an odd way of shutting down your vocal cords. I just shook my head. Kisa smiled.

Three movies later it was far past midnight. I felt myself getting a little sleepy. We had run out of funny Anime to watch and were moving on to the fighting ones. Kisa was getting a little bleary-eyed. My mother dropped in.

"You two are still up?" she asked, almost astonished.

I nod my head. Kisa just lay there, staring at the screen.

"Well, I'm going to bed now. You two shouldn't stay up much longer. You need your rest Hiro!" she scolded. I simply nodded again. Mother shook her head and closed the door.

We watched in silence for a little while. An excellent fight scene was going on but I couldn't seem to focus on it. I felt a slight bludgeon on my side followed by a slight, but constant pressure. What on earth? I slowly glanced down at my side and was quite surprised to see Kisa leaning against it. "Kisa?" I waited. No response. I could feel her breathing and her heart beating rather slowly so she was alive. She fell asleep? I felt my arm slide down to about her mid-back. What do I do now? I stared down at her for a couple of seconds. She looked like a sleeping angel. Oh well… I will try to move her to the couch after I watch this… final… battle……

* * *

**Awakening**

* * *

I was back in the park. It seemed to be a fairly common occurrence for my dreams. Mother doesn't believe that I can control what I do in my dreams. The only thing I can't control yet is where they take me, but once I'm there… 

I looked around. The typical bench sat there. But this time there wasn't a Kisa sitting on it? This was a rather boring dream. I sighed. Then came the sound of footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Kisa walking towards me on the hill. She smiled when she saw me. "Um… hi Hiro! Where are we?" she asked me.

My dream visions usually didn't react with me directly, let alone ask me questions! What was going on here? "Looks like were in the park…" I responded.

"I thought we were in your room though…" She looked around, confused.

My eyes widened! The sky mimicked my mood and darkened a little bit. It was just a trick of my mind! I kept telling myself that.

"And what happened to the Anime? I missed the battle somehow…" She looked at me with her head tilted slightly to the right. I was still amazed at the realism…

I decided to test. "I don't know. I fell asleep before the end of it." Her eyes widened.

"How did we get here then?" She looked around quickly, almost in a panic.

Very realistic, I decided. "I am assuming this is my dream. I come to the park a lot in my sleep…"

"This is your dream? Then what am I doing here?" I was slightly hurt. My brain was being mean to me again.

"You're a part of my dreams a lot."

"I am?" She blushed a little bit.

This was really strange. Nothing bad was happening and nothing was changing. I decided to see if I could change something. I extended my hand out towards one of the planted trees. Kisa just watched me curiously. The tree bent and twisted around into a pretzel-like shape. Her eyes widened as she watched. "Whoa! How did you do that?"

"This IS my dream. I can do what I want."

I turned towards her then and just looked at her. I tried to give her ribbons in her hair. I focused on visualizing her with ribbons… Nothing happened…? She shook her head all of a sudden.

"What's all this about ribbons? I heard it coming from all around me…" My eyes widened. Something was seriously wrong here. She continued, "Well I would rather like to have ribbons though…" I noticed them fade in on her head and smiled. She took the end of her left one in her hand.

"I guess it is possible to change your appearance in this place with a thought. Why is it black and white though?" Shock wasn't a strong enough word for my feelings by this point.

"You didn't imagine a color for them?" I asked.

"Oh…" She closes her eyes. The ribbons turn a bright yellow color. She smiled at them then.

I'm about to ask another question to further test her when the entire horizon to my left explodes into light. Comparable to the brightest sunrise I had ever seen. "What's that?" I heard Kisa scream.

I opened my eyes. Hers were opening as well. How could I tell? They were about three inches from mine. We had somehow managed to rotate on our sides and face each other after we fell asleep. Her hands were resting casually on my chest and my arms were both around her waist. She just stared sleepily at me as if not registering where she was. Light was shining in through the window? I gathered my surroundings in my head. The TV was looping the title menu for the DVD, the curtains on the window were open, and both of us were lying on our sides amongst heaps of pillows.

Kisa seemed to snap out of her daze almost instantly and she realized where she was. I have never seen her face turn so pink before. It would probably be best if I let her go because I was pretty sure I was mimicking her facial colors. We both sat up rather quickly on the bed and looked away from each other. I was so stupid! Why had I fallen asleep? Kisa probably would never want to speak with me again!

"Wanna go down and get some breakfast Hiro?" She asked timidly, still kind of blushing. Well, that proved my last thought process entirely wrong… I smiled at her.

"I have something to ask you first." I commented, not really sure if I wanted to do this or not.

"What?" She tilted her head to the side as she asked.

"Do you remember your dream?" I replied. Her eyes widened.

"About the park and you bending the tree?"

I just sat there staring at her. She must have guessed my answer from my eyes. No more words were needed between us at the moment. We had somehow moved beyond words. Both of us smiled at each other and walked downstairs for breakfast. The time to explore this interesting phenomenon would come later, but right now we were hungry…

* * *

**Chapter 3 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Well, this chapter is FAR better then the last one in my opinion. Maybe it's just because I'm finally getting into new material and I'm free to take any direction I want. This chapter gets a little weird towards the end in a supernatural kind of way but I guess that just prepares you more for some of the later chapters I guess. As a random side note, I couldn't stop laughing when I wrote the "Oops…" section.

Thanks is given to Tsubasa Hane for the story favorite. Hope you like this section even more!


	4. Release

* * *

**Disclaimer**

* * *

Again... I don't own Fruits Basket or any of it's characters sadly. I wonder if I'll have to do this every time...

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Release**

* * *

For the first time in a long while I felt happy. Yes Hiro was injured. It was also my fault for injuring him, but I didn't feel that badly about it because he told me not to. It didn't seem to bother him in the least. His thinking is still a mystery to me. How can anyone be happy or at least show apathy to their pain? Hiro has been my friend for the longest of times and I still don't know why exactly he acts the way he does. Maybe that's my fault for not being brave enough to just ask but… I just don't know. 

I was standing in his kitchen at the moment. Having just got off the phone a little while ago with my mother, I have gotten clearance to stay at Hiro's house for as long as it takes him to heal. Apparently she thought that Hiro's mother needed my help to take care of both Hiro and his sister. I didn't mind though. Exciting things were happening all around me. I must admit it did feel a little scary and out of control but that's probably just me overreacting again.

Hiro's mother put the last of the items, a bowl of cereal, on the giant tray. This was mine and Hiro's breakfast that I had helped her make. I carefully balanced the tray as I walked towards the stairs. A very odd series of events happened last night. Hiro and I stayed up really late watching Anime. I felt myself get really sleepy because I hadn't really stayed up that late before. Then I fell asleep. Right there while watching Anime with Hiro. I kept getting more and more cozy amid all the pillows and I found that Hiro had put his arm around me. Safety would be the best word to describe my feelings. There was this feeling that I wouldn't come to harm while he watched over me. His arm felt so warm around me so I slid myself into him and put my head against his side, falling asleep almost instantly.

Watching each step I took and making sure not to disturb the contents of the tray, I made my way slowly up the stairs. I don't know how we got into that position in the first place really. Somewhere along the course of the night the snack bowl ended up in his lap and I had scooted up against him. I don't know why. Being that close was kind of nice though. I can't seem to shake that feeling of protection out of my head. I keep thinking of Hiro as my "prince", the knight in shining armor there to watch over me. Of course he HAD watched over me for so long…

I made it to the top of the stairs and started walking down the hallway; Hiro's door was the last on the right. After I fell asleep I had a weird dream. I was in the park that Hiro and I visit all the time. Hiro was there to but he almost acted like I wasn't real. He had cool powers though and could change the world around us. The strange thing is that he had the SAME dream! I did the exact same things I can remember doing and saying in his dream too. The odd thing is it didn't FEEL like a dream. Most of my dreams are just random images but this one actually felt like I was in control of myself. I could say and do what I wanted.

I pushed open the door using my elbow. Hiro was still lying against the pillows on the bed. He smiled at me when I came in. The dream was one thing, waking up afterwards was another surprise. It would seem that Hiro fell asleep almost as soon as I did. It HAD been a rather tiring day for him. We must have turned a little bit during the dream though because when we both woke up, at the same time oddly, our faces were probably about two inches apart. We had turned sideways in our sleep and were facing each other when we awoke! I had both of my hands on his chest and he had his arms around my waist! It was embarrassing because usually only couples do that but it felt nice still. He looked as embarrassed as I was anyway…

I set the tray down on the bed and slid in beside him. After last night it didn't really bother me to actually be right beside him. We started eating without saying a word. There was nothing really to say. I thought back to earlier this morning and wondered if he actually liked waking up to that. Did he like me? He acted like he did sometimes. I used to think that we were just friends. Then it expanded to him being my best friend. Is he more than that though? I don't know…

**

* * *

**

**Hopes**

**

* * *

**Something was different. Just the way she moved or looked at me. I couldn't place it. She set the tray down on the bed then and slid in next to me. We were touching shoulders again but she did so purposely this time. It's like she had gotten more confidence… considerably more than she had even last night. Or maybe it was something more intangible than that. I think that our level of friendship had increased a little bit. It was weird because I thought that it would decrease after this morning. 

I was staring at her again and she looked over at me. She smiled then, "Is something wrong Hiro?" she asked sweetly. I smiled at her. Something was definitely wrong. Something wasn't being said that needed to be. We weren't talking enough about what had actually happened. Wrong? No, people shared dreams all the time, "best friends" falling asleep in each others arms was normal, and not talking about it afterwards was perfectly acceptable… I laughed then. Kisa tilted her head.

"We slept the entire night in the same bed Kisa… I did have intentions of trying to get you over to the couch but I fell asleep too quickly. Not only had this happened but we had the same dream. No… We SHARED a dream. I don't know how we did this but we did. Nothing's wrong at all…" I put my head back on the pillows then and started laughing half-heartedly. It came out more as air…

I felt a hand pick mine up and set it on the tray. "We should eat first before it gets cold." I smiled then. Kisa could be wise… sometimes.

I sat back up again and started eating. It was after all made by two of my favorite ladies in the world. I couldn't dare let it go to waste. Kisa laughed at the gusto in which I attacked the food before starting to eat as well. It was delicious! Everything seemed brighter after what I had said. Kisa was eating happily and didn't seem particularly bothered by it. I must try to get better as quickly as possible so I can stop worrying her.

After I finished eating I decided to watch Kisa for a little while. She was taking her time and finishing her eggs. After a few minutes she set her fork down on her plate and sighed contently. I started to lift the tray up. I wanted to see if I could successfully bring it downstairs. Kisa immediately grabbed my hand and shook her head.

"I will get the tray, you just rest." She said softly. I scowled but she just laughed. I lay back down on the bed and patiently waited for her return. She came back a couple of minutes later and lay down as well. After a few brief moments of silence she spoke.

"I talked to my mother today."

"Oh?"

"Yes, she said I could stay here until you're better." I suddenly had no desire to ever heal.

"Well that was nice of her."

"I'm just happy that I could help out. I still feel a little guilty about what happened. I don't know why I did it now."

"I was never upset with you Kisa. I don't know why you're still feeling guilty about it…"

She shrugged then. She turned towards me again, "Hiro?"

"Yes?" She was acting weird. If Momiji had told her anything after I left yesterday I would kill him!

"I have to tell you something! I can't take it anymore…" Now I was really confused. She looked nervous for some reason.

"What is it?" I said, smiling at her. She reached forward and grabbed my hand. I must have looked slightly stunned because she smiled at me then.

"Hiro… I just wanted to tell you that no matter what happens, I will always…"

A voice drowned out her talking then, "Hiro?" It was my mother. Kisa's hands left mine almost instantly as she turned around just as my mother entered the room. Mother seemed to stop for a moment as she saw the TV was off.

"No DVDs today?" she asked.

"We were just talking." I replied calmly. Why did she choose THAT moment to interrupt? It sounded like Kisa had something really important to say. I continued, "What's up?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I have decided to go to that convention after all!" She seemed excited.

"That's cool! You're going with Kisa's mother?" I asked.

"Yes. I also have to ask you something Kisa…"

"What is it aunty?" Kisa asked. I almost wish she wouldn't call her that. It makes me think that I'm a close relation to Kisa.

"I will be gone for several days to this convention and I was wondering if you could help Hiro take care of his sister, the house, and himself while I'm gone?" She laughed then.

Kisa smiled and nodded. "I wouldn't mind helping!" I smiled then. Kisa was going to help me after all. I felt a sigh of relief building in my throat but suppressed it.

My mother didn't hold her sigh back though. "Oh good! That puts my mind at ease knowing my two kids and house are in good hands…" I was slightly irritated at being called a kid but I was still happy for the help. My sister could be a pain sometimes but she seemed to like Kisa. At least Kisa wouldn't transform when holding her…

Mother left the room and Kisa looked down slightly. I would have given almost anything except Kisa herself to know what she had about said.

"You were saying before mother interrupted?" I asked quietly.

"Oh? Oh… it was nothing important." She stated. Her eyes looked sad though. Mother had the worst timing sometimes…

* * *

**Sweet Goodbyes**

* * *

It only took me three days to recover my ability to walk properly. I wish it had taken three MONTHS though. Kisa and I did nothing but talk and watch Anime. It was one of the best times of my life. We would watch until one in the morning sometimes. She would sleep on the couch in my room. She only fell asleep against me once more though. This time I was able to stay awake long enough to pick her up and carry her to the couch. I covered her with the blanket and smiled. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. I woke up before her that day and just lay in bed and watched her breathe. She woke up staring at me and smiled. She looked almost sad though. I wonder why? We never had another one of those joint dreams again though. Seeing Kisa during my dreams and waking hours was kind of nice too... 

Walking her back to her house was sad though. I had gotten so used to her being there so quickly it astounded me. We walked in silence. The sun was setting by the time we arrived at her house and her mother came out to greet us.

"You've healed up rather nicely Hiro." She commented happily. Kisa gave her a big hug.

"Thanks to the excellent care of your daughter." I added to her statement. Kisa smiled and did a cute little bow.

"I'm glad she helped you. Thanks for walking her home."

"Don't mention it!" I replied happily. Kisa was crying again. Was she happy to see her mother, going to miss me, or both? I stepped forward and wiped her eyes with a tissue. She smiled at me again. Time seemed to get stuck again as we looked into each others eyes. I smiled and bowed slightly before turning around and walking down their walkway…

I calculated that it was exactly five days until Mother left for the convention. I had to be ready to help Kisa by then…

* * *

**Pain**

* * *

Why do I bother? I sat there on the end of the park bench wondering this. I had brought Kisa here to have some fun and get some more ice cream. Little did I know that today was the day that the stupid Riceball was out with Kyo, Yuki, Hatsuharu, and Momiji? They just happened to be walking by the entrance to the park when they saw us sitting on the bench. The boys were calmly talking amongst themselves but Tohru had completely absorbed Kisa's attention. She was going on and on about some party coming up that they were planning and she wanted Kisa to come. Did she invite me? Of course not… 

I looked across the lake. They had been talking for almost 45 minutes! I might as well not be here. After a couple moments of deliberation I decided that the statement was indeed true. I bet I could walk off right now and not a single voice would be raised in my direction. Why not…? I stood up off the bench. Tohru paid no heed to me and Kisa was facing away from me. Momiji was the only one that noticed that I had stood up even. He looked at me for a second then over at Kisa and Tohru. He rolled his eyes. I wondered briefly at whom before walking off…

If anyone had noticed my exit they didn't say anything. I slowly wandered over to the other side of the park. That stupid woman! Why did Kisa like her so much? Is it just because she was there for Kisa in her time of need? No one seems to understand. I couldn't dare face Kisa after what I had done to her. I had wanted to help her so much.

I stopped at the Crepe stand on the other side of the park. Normally I would have ordered ice cream almost immediately but today I stupidly sat through a 45 minute conversation. I was a little hungry I guess. After ordering a chocolate Crepe I walked over to a bench and sat down. If I tried really hard I could see the bench that Kisa was sitting on across the lake. I idly munched on my Crepe and started to wonder if she WOULD notice that I had left.

After another fifteen minutes it looked like the stupid Riceball was wrapping things up. Kisa was nodding a lot more instead of just being COMPLETELY absorbed in every word that her "sister" told her. I sighed. Then she stood up? Tohru had stood up as well and said something to the boys. Kyo looked like he sighed but Yuki seemed to nod. Haru just stood there and Momiji was nodding enthusiastically. They all started to walk out of the park? Ouch. She HAD forgotten completely about me. I watched them walk towards the exit feeling very abandoned and sad. Momiji was moving faster than the rest though and caught up with Tohru. He tapped her on the shoulder and whispered something to her.

I almost had to stop myself from laughing. Tohru had turned around. Kisa, whom was following her like a little chick, crashed into her. Tohru was looking around spastically. Had Momiji actually told her that, originally, I had been there with Kisa? Momiji just stood there watching as Tohru looked around. Under the bench? She really was stupid. I sighed hopping that she didn't rub off on Kisa.

Momiji looked at his watch and made a small comment. Kyo freaked out then and started yelling at Tohru… Sadly I could actually hear him from where I was.

"You talked with her for so long that he left! 25 minutes ago!" I laughed then. Momiji had told them what time I had walked off. Kisa moved her hands over her mouth like she was in shock. I felt a little bad that I had just left without saying anything but it wasn't like she was that interested in what I had to say anyway, not that I could get a word in… I shook my head and walked towards the back gate…

I just wandered the town for about an hour. There wasn't really a goal that I had in mind except thinking. During the entire time she stayed at my house I could almost swear that she did like me. Now that she had left I wasn't so sure anymore. I looked up to find myself in the restaurant district of downtown. Hmm… Well I was a little hungry. The Crepe didn't fill me up for very long. I walked towards my favorite sandwich shop.

I came to a complete halt when I sensed him. I looked to the right and found Haru laying on a bench staring at me. I just looked down at him for a little bit before continuing onward without a word. He stood up and walked with me.

"You left?" he asked finally.

"There was no point to staying." I responded, bored.

"Why not?"

"My purpose there was to entertain Kisa. Tohru did a pretty good job with that though." I couldn't stop all of the jealousy in that statement from leaking out.

"She does feel really bad about that. She had forgotten that you were on a date with Kisa."

I laughed, "It wasn't a date really…"

"How long ARE you going to keep telling yourself that?"

I stopped. I had been telling myself that she doesn't like me like that. Haru had turned around and was just looking at me calmly. I felt… frustration. It was all building up inside me.

"Why? Why am I such a coward sometimes?" I had thought that I was still just thinking to myself again. Haru raised an eyebrow. "Why can't I just tell her about Akito? It would explain everything to her though! She would know that I…" I stopped. Haru was staring at me with slightly wider eyes. Oops… He smiled all of a sudden.

"So you're behind that accident?" he asked calmly.

It snapped. I felt the pressure inside of me break open. I got very cold all of a sudden and could only imagine how white my face had gotten. "Yes I am the one behind Kisa getting hurt…"

Haru was still just standing there. Usually he is really upset with Kisa getting harmed and I had just told him that I was responsible. Why wasn't he going "black" and pummeling me yet?

"What happened?" He inquired in a quiet tone. It would have been so much easier if he had just started hitting me. I would have felt better too.

"I told Akito that I loved Kisa…" How could I have told her that? I didn't help Kisa at all when she was being teased, I couldn't tell her, I couldn't even face her… If anything I didn't deserve to claim that I loved her. Haru smiled.

"Just pummel me and get it over with…" I said in a shaky voice.

"Why would I pummel you?"

"I just told you that I was the one behind Kisa getting hurt…"

"Come with me…" he finally said. He must really want to hurt me if he refused to do it in public. I followed him knowing I deserved the worst that he could do.

He walked casually down the street and sat down at a café? He knew that this was my favorite sandwich shop. I sat down across from him at the table.

"Want something to eat?" he asked finally.

I shook my head. My appetite had left me completely. He sat there staring at me calmly for almost a minute. I just sat there looking at the flowers in the center of the table. Yellow lilies, her favorite color. I knew I wasn't just having a nightmare because they weren't on fire yet. I sighed then.

"I'm not going to hit you so don't worry." I looked up at the sound of his voice. "If I was in your shoes I probably would have done the same thing. Then again your confidence is supposed to be your strong point but you certainly aren't showing it. Besides, if I pummeled you Kisa would be sad and probably never speak to me again." He smiled again.

"I don't see why she wouldn't speak to you again. She would give you the chance to explain and all you would have to do is tell her what I just told you… As for my confidence… all things change when it comes to Kisa." I explained.

"Telling her what you just said would probably get her to hate me more…"

I gave him a questioning look. He just shook his head and continued, "You're just afraid of her answer aren't you?"

I felt like rolling my eyes. "Of course. If I admit that I love her and she doesn't feel the same about me it will just push her away further." I wished I hadn't added that last word.

"So you will just go on being just her 'best friend' forever and torturing yourself? She isn't getting further away from you like you think. She wouldn't have agreed to help you take care of your sister if she was…"

I looked up quickly, "She told you that she was…"

Haru started laughing then. "She talks to me about a lot of things. I don't mind being her big brother and offering advice sometimes though…" I felt my eyes narrow. What else had she been telling him? My thoughts were interrupted though.

"Do you two want anything or not?" The waitress asked. I was suddenly thirsty.

"I'll take a soda…" I said.

"Me too." Haru followed.

After sipping on my drink for a while I looked back up. "How much else has she been telling you?"

He started laughing again. "I'm not sure if she would want me to tell you some of them."

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

He stopped laughing and just smiled. "She told me about falling asleep in your bed." The statement hit me off guard and the color in my cheeks returned, then magnified. He just laughed. "I was happy actually. She trusts you enough to risk falling asleep ON you. Then you proved that trust well earned and she woke up safely in the morning, untouched. I was proud of you for that."

"I would never have done anything to her…" I replied in a small, sad voice.

"And you proved it to her. Congratulations!" He waited a few moments. Or was it hesitation? "She said she fell asleep again before she left?" I nodded. "And that you had moved her to the couch?" he continued. I nodded again. He laughed then. I looked up questioningly.

"She said that she was a little disappointed when she woke up on the couch…" he added. My eyes went wide. "She had decided that she might be able to have another dream if she fell asleep against you again. I have no idea what she was talking about but I thought that you might…" Oh… It kind of made sense I guess. The dream-sharing might work off of proximity. I had never really thought about it.

"I take it by your silence that you do know what she was talking about?" he asked. I nodded.

"It's kind of silly to think like this but I think we actually SHARED a dream. We both saw what each other were doing in the dream and awoke at the exact same time…"

Haru smiled and then shrugged. "I wouldn't doubt it. I had always sensed that you two have had a special bond."

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Of course! I think that it's wonderful. And don't worry, I won't tell her parents or yours about the bed thing." I smiled. Haru wasn't such a bad guy. Especially now that I knew he was only a brother figure to Kisa. I almost laughed at myself. He continued talking though, "I won't tell her about Akito or your feelings either but I suggest you do. It would be a deep regret to go through your entire life never knowing what she would have said." I thought about that.

He finished his drink and set the glass down on the table. I did the same. We walked up to the counter then. I reached towards my back pocket for my wallet but Haru stopped me.

"This one is on me. You just go back home." I stared questioningly at Haru for a moment before shrugging.

"Thanks." I said as I started to walk off. I hope he assumed that it was for more than just the drink.

"Don't mention it!" I heard him call out. I continued walking…

I got home in about ten minutes. The weather was getting worse. It was overcast all day but it looked like it was about to rain. My mother was waiting for me in the yard when I got there. Weird… She rushed forward when she saw me.

"Oh thank goodness! I heard what happened in the park and didn't know where you went!" she cried. What on earth? Why was everyone so worried about me? It only happened about an hour and a half ago yet it was already spreading like wildfire. Did people really talk about me that much?

"Usually I don't have to worry about reporting every place I go directly to you…" I said, skeptically.

"Well in your current mentality I didn't know what would happen…" she explained. What?

"What are you talking about? I just got bored and decided to leave…"

"Usually you don't get 'bored' with Kisa…" I felt myself starting to get angry again.

"Well usually she doesn't blatantly ignore me and talk to Tohru for over an hour!" It came out before I could stop it. Mother's eyes widened.

"I didn't know that it was that bad…" she said sadly. I couldn't stand it anymore! Everyone thought that it was such a big deal! I felt like screaming! The rain took that moment to start to fall…

It didn't take me long to realize that I actually had… Mother was looking at me with stunned eyes. I couldn't face her anymore so I did the only thing I was truly good at. I fled…

* * *

**Oops…**

* * *

I was so stupid! Hiro had asked me out and I was so happy. We went to the park to get ice cream again but Sis and the rest of the Sohmas showed up. I was so excited to see Sis again that I ignored Hiro! He must have been so bored! I feel really guilty now, not just because I ignored him for over an hour when I was supposed to be with him but I also was about to leave the park without him! 

Momiji rushed up to Tohru when we started to leave and asked if Hiro was actually supposed to be with me or if it was just coincidence. I suddenly remembered that I came to the park with Hiro and turned back around to find him. He had left though, not that I blame him. It seems that Momiji had actually seen him go but hadn't said anything. It was 25 minutes ago! He must hate me now…

For some odd reason the rest of the Sohmas were really worried about him though. I thought Hiro could take care of himself but they kept talking about what he must be feeling right now. It was a little confusing. They all split up trying to look for him. I secretly hopped that Momiji wouldn't be the one to find him. They didn't get along too well and if Hiro was already in a bad mood like everyone was saying... it might not end the greatest.

Sis and Yuki walked me back to my house. My mother questioned where Hiro was and she seemed kind of mad at me when I told her what had happened. Sis took me upstairs while Yuki "explained" to my mother. I didn't see why I couldn't hear what Yuki had to say but I didn't mind. I sat down in my room with Sis. She distracted herself by looking at some of my pictures on the wall. Most of them were of Hiro and I of course, but there were a couple of baby picture of me. Sis looked at them for a while before dropping her head to look at my floor.

"I'm sorry Kisa. I shouldn't have even entered the park…" she finally said in a sad voice.

"I like talking with you though. I just have to learn to divide my time a little better, I guess…" I responded, trying to cheer her up a little.

"What I did was wrong. I monopolized your time when you should have spent at least some with Hiro. He HAD invited you in the first place."

I looked down at the floor. Everyone was acting like this was really serious but I didn't get it. Was Hiro really that upset? I just didn't know… Did he like me? I looked back up at Sis.

"Um… Sis? Do you think that Hiro likes me?" I asked timidly.

"Of course he likes you. You're his best friend!" she responded happily.

"I meant um… loves me?" This barely came out but she seemed to hear it. Her eyes got bigger. I just looked at her.

"I don't know Kisa. He acts a lot like he does sometimes." She said hesitantly.

I smiled. "I know he does. I just can't tell though because he won't tell me." I sighed then. "It would be really great if he does, though…" Why did I just say that?

Sis' eyes widened further. "You love him, Kisa?"

I got flustered. I hadn't really decided yet. "Um… I don't really know. If he doesn't like me it would be bad if I liked him. We wouldn't be able to be such great friends then!"

"Only you can tell him how you actually feel, Kisa. I think that you should, though." Sis replied. "What if he says he does love you?" I smiled.

"It would be wonderful…" I sighed. Before I could continue, a knock came to the door.

"Miss Honda? Kisa?" It was Yuki.

"You can come in." Sis told him.

The door opened a little bit and Yuki stepped inside. He nodded towards Sis and then towards me.

"Hatsuharu found him. He was wandering down near the restaurant district." Yuki announced.

I started to smile but Sis seemed concerned still.

"How was he?" she asked nervously. Yuki looked away from her.

"Not the greatest… He apparently snapped in front of Haru and said some things that were a little shocking…" He glanced over at me then. My eyes had widened when he said "Not the greatest…"

"He is supposed to be heading home. Haru said he calmed him down. We should call, though…" Yuki continued.

Sis picked up the phone in my room and dialed. I was really hopping that he was alright. After a few moments she said, "Hello! Is Hiro doing ok?" There was a pause. It seemed to take forever before Sis spoke again. "What?" My eyes widened further. Sis continued, "I see… Well, I will tell them…" She hung up the phone and turned towards us. For a long while she just stared at me.

"He snapped again in front of his mother and ran off somewhere…" she said slowly.

I couldn't seem to process it… Hiro was upset to the point of running away from his house? I couldn't possibly mean that much to him. The only picture that seemed to be able to flow through my head was Hiro running off somewhere. I suddenly got scared and didn't want him to be alone. Before I knew what I was doing I had stood up.

Sis and Yuki looked over at me all of a sudden. I heard my voice, "No… Why does he…?" It sounded distant and hollow.

"Kisa?" Sis asked in a worried voice.

There wasn't really a conscious decision that I made. The next thing I knew I was running, gone out of my room in a heartbeat. I heard cries of "Kisa!" and "Wait!" behind me from Sis and Yuki, but I paid them no heed. All I could think of was Hiro, by himself somewhere being absolutely miserable. I had to find him! I ran out of the house with a very shocked Yuki, Sis, and Mother following…

* * *

**Absolution**

* * *

Why was everyone so worked up over one little event? All I had done was walked off when there was no more point to me being there… Everyone acted like I would be so upset when they heard about it. Why? All I knew besides my thoughts was that I was walking. I had no idea where I was walking to or how long it would take to get there but I didn't really care. 

Did they know something that I didn't about Kisa? Had she already voiced her thoughts about me? Maybe she had already said that she didn't like me! They heard that I had walked off and assumed that she had finally told me. Was that why they were so worried about how I was doing? I hated to think like this but it was the only reason that I could come up with for them to blow this out of proportion…

I looked up at my surroundings again and found that I was in the large meadow that Kisa and I used to play in when we were younger. The only time I had actually seen the meadow was with Kisa on bright sunny days. It looked cold and deserted today when viewed in the rain. I wandered into it anyway.

The entire time I was walking across the field I was trying desperately to come up with another reason for them to be so concerned. I reached the large tree near the back of the field. On sunny days it provided considerable amounts of shade and was the silent witness to several picnics at its base. I took shelter from the rain under it. There was some comfort in the memories of this place. I sat down against the base of the tree and closed my eyes…

After maybe five minutes or so I opened them. I thought that I sensed another person approaching me. I was correct in my guess. She stood maybe twenty feet away from me. Her golden-brown hair was darkened by the rain and sticking about the side of her head. Equally golden in eye color, she was staring at me sadly. The T-Shirt and shorts she was wearing looked like it had been in the rain for hours. Of course, mine probably had that look too. It was Kisa. She had found me in our favorite spot. Why was she here in the pouring rain staring at me?

I stood up from the base of the tree and returned her stare. There were so many feelings that I could find just by looking at her. Love would be the most prominent but I didn't deserve to think that. I couldn't declare that I love her after what I had done to her. Why was she just staring at me?

"Hiro… what's wrong?" she asked timidly. Everyone had been asking me that lately. It was so irritating!

"Why does everyone think something is wrong?" I responded defensively.

"You just left without saying anything. I didn't know what happened…" she replied as she started to walk closer. Why was she still playing with my emotions?

"Didn't know what happened…? You ignored me for almost an hour, so I left!" I almost screamed.

"I… I'm sorry Hiro. I was so excited to see Sis that I got carried away." She was about ten feet away now. I could see that the wetness on her cheeks wasn't just from the rain. I felt confused.

"You always get carried away when it comes to your 'Sis'!" I responded snidely. If that stupid girl wasn't here, maybe I could have… I stopped there. If that "stupid girl" wasn't here, Kisa still wouldn't be talking to anyone because I certainly couldn't get up enough courage to try and help her.

"I'm sorry, Hiro! Please! Why didn't you just say something?" She had stopped five feet away from me. Could she really be that thick?

"Oh yeah, Kisa… I could really ask you to just stop talking to your 'Sis'! How would I explain that I was jealous of her because I actually liked you? It's not like you would understand anyway! You absorb every word she says and I can't get a word in…" I slowly stopped yelling. Kisa's eyes had gotten rather wide and eventually my brain had noticed that it was because of what I had just said. I had just admitted that I liked her. She knew. I felt like running away again. There was this incredible desire to just flee away to some private little area and curl into a little ball. I slumped backwards against the tree and slid down it.

Kisa seemed in shock when I risked a glance back up at her. Her gaze burned down upon me. I suddenly felt very exposed, like she was seeing my very soul.

"Um… Wha… What did you say?" she asked stuttering.

Why not? I had already completely blown my cover. There was no point in trying to avoid the question or even be vague. I looked back up at her fully meeting her gaze.

"I love you Kisa." I calmly said. It was like the weight of the world itself was lifted off my shoulders. I broke down. It all flooded out of my mouth. I explained how I had told Akito and that's why she hurt her. I explained how I couldn't dare face her after I knew that I was responsible for her getting hurt. Kisa's eyes got bigger and bigger as I went on. There wasn't any point in holding back. After I had finished I just sat there, exhausted. I felt relieved that I had finally said something but all I could see ahead now was misery. I wasn't expecting what happened next. She walked forward a few steps and kneeled down in front of me.

"You stood before Akito and told her outright that you loved me?" she asked. There was a look of disbelief on her face. I was so stunned that all I could do was nod.

"I'm sorry for getting you hurt, Kisa…" I apologized quietly.

She started to smile? "Don't apologize to me. You stood up to Akito without fear and told her that you loved me! That was incredibly brave of you! I don't care what happened afterwards. You couldn't have stopped that." She paused there, hesitating. I was still trying to process what exactly was happening. She continued, "I am just happy to finally learn why you were avoiding me for so long. I thought that you hated me…" She looked down then.

"I could never bring myself to hate you, Kisa…" I replied sadly.

"I know that, Hiro, and I love you too…" she responded with a blush.

Time stood still. What had she just said? I just stared into her eyes from about a foot away. She had accepted the fact that I had gotten her hurt? She didn't care? I couldn't seem to think. She was moving forward again, leaning towards me. My hands were down at my sides still and I couldn't seem to make them move. Her face was mere inches from mine now, too late to do anything anyway. I stopped hearing the rain. All I could feel were her lips pressed against mine gently. My eyes closed of their own volition and my arms wrapped around her, seeming to follow the same orders that my eyes were. I lost myself entirely in the moment. It seemed to last forever… Eventually she pulled away slightly, probably more for the need to breathe than anything, though. Her arms were placed casually around my neck and mine were around her waist. She was smiling at me and her entire face was a bright shade of pink. I felt mine was rather warm as well.

Time seemed to resume then, but for a while we just gazed into each other's eyes, embracing still. All I could do was smile at her. I stood then and she followed me up, neither of us daring to let go of the other.

She spoke at last. "I'm sorry for ignoring you, Hiro. I really didn't realize that I was doing it." I couldn't be mad at her anymore.

"It's ok, Kisa. I wasn't really that upset to begin with I guess. I'm just glad that you have such good friends, although I wish I could have done more for you." I replied with a slight tint of sadness towards the end.

She laughed then. "You needed a break anyway. You have done so much for me already… Besides! No one will ever replace you in my eyes." How long I had wanted to hear her say that… I couldn't help but sigh. I then remembered how worried everyone else was about me.

"We should probably head back. Everyone is probably worried about us…" I remarked.

"Oh yeah… I WAS being followed by Sis, Yuki, and my mother but I did kind of leave them in the dust. I didn't want them to know about our little spot so I lost them in back alleyways. They're probably really worried by now..." She seemed a bit embarrassed.

"Oh… You're bad today…" I teased. She laughed.

"I couldn't tell them about our secret picnic spot, though…" She tilted her head when she said this. She looked so cute I couldn't help myself. I kissed her again on the cheek.

She giggled then and I broke out of our embrace. She stepped backwards slightly and just stood there beaming at me.

"Well, we had best be going, then…" I spoke as I walked past her. I heard her footsteps run to catch up with me and like usual, approach my left side. This time a hand slipped into mine as she caught up with me. The sun had peeked back out from around the clouds and illuminated our world as we walked.

"For so long I was wondering how you really felt about me…" I finally said. She simply turned her head towards me as we walked. I continued, "I was so scared of what you would say if I told you, though…" She smiled at this. I couldn't help my next question. "Can we start calling them dates, finally?"

She started laughing then and replied, "Of course! I always had kind of thought of them like that anyway…"

I smiled. She put her head down on my shoulder. After about ten minutes of walking, we reached Kisa's house. Her mother was out in the yard talking with Tohru and Yuki. My mother was also there along with my little sister. I saw Hatsuharu, Momiji, and Kyo sitting on the steps. We turned the wall and entered the gate. Kisa was still holding my hand and didn't seem to have any desire to do otherwise. Everyone looked over at us almost at the same time. Kyo and Haru just stared at us. I just sighed when the burst of light hit us and knew Momiji still had his camera from earlier. Yuki started to smile along with Kisa's mother. Tohru followed Kisa's arm down to our hands and started to smile as well. My mother, however, rushed forward, leaving my little sister with Tohru. She ran right towards me and gave me a large, crushing hug. She was crying… I felt slightly bad, but then again it could be just because she was crushing me. She didn't stop once I had been reduced to a sheep either.

"Mother!" I said. Trying to sound annoyed to cover my embarrassment.

"I'm so happy that you're ok!" Is all she said in return… I sighed.

She finally stopped hugging me and I feigned gasping for air on the ground for a little bit. Kisa started laughing. I just sighed. I was about to stand up and start gathering my clothes when I felt two hands go around me. The ground got a lot further away as I was lifted up and cradled. I honestly had expected my mother but instead I found Kisa looking down at me. She smiled then and carried me towards the house like I was a baby! Tohru looked like she was about to freak out and start hugging Kisa again… Momiji started laughing and I saw another flash of light hit us. Kisa didn't bother stopping, though, and carried me into the house, her mother following with my clothes.

Kisa carried me upstairs to her room and set me down on her bed. She then turned around and waited. A couple minutes later I transformed back and quickly put my clothes back on. I slid both arms around her neck then and she turned her head to smile at me. We wandered back downstairs and I spent the rest of the evening sitting on the couch next to Kisa relating the story to the others. I tried to "edit" the ending a little bit but I think I blushed too much and they figured it out anyway, but oh well…

Saying goodbye to Kisa was really hard this time. Everyone left the house in scattered groups until it was just me, Kisa, and Kisa's mother. I finally decided that it was time for me to get home as well because the sun was starting to set. I walked outside and Kisa followed me. I turned around to say goodbye but she closed the distance between us too quickly. Her lips brushed against mine for the second time that day. This one was much shorter than before. She broke it and looked up at me smiling.

"See you tomorrow?" she asked happily.

"Of course!" I replied. She nodded. We broke apart then and I started walking down the walkway. I turned once more and waved towards the house. Kisa was still standing in the yard and waved back. Her mother was on the porch waving as well. I turned back around smiling contently and started my walk back home…

* * *

**Chapter 4 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

This chapter was so sweet! It was much fun to write. As this story progresses, I'm going to slowly alter personalities to at least show some character growth so I hope nobody gets mad if the personalities tip slightly away from what they were originally.

On a much happier note, I HAVE REVIEWS NOW! I'm quite happy that people have taken the time to write reviews for my pet story and even happier that some were constructive as well. Thank you for reviewing! Remember, more reviews will get me to update quicker. -winks-

**Individual Review Responses:**

**Kisa is dreaming:** The Hiro x Kisa pairing is my absolute favorite when it comes to Furuba and usually all I write about. I have a few one shots for other characters but I may decide not to post them as they aren't the greatest. Don't worry about the supernatural stuff however as it won't start REALLY occurring until the later chapters.

**Kashuneko:** You aren't the first person to tell me that believe it or not. I read somewhere that the Jyuunishi weren't supposed to go to the banquet until the age of six and based off my own experiences, I really didn't pay a lot of attention to other people at social events at that age. That'sjust MY justification however. Thanks for being a fan.

**Anime airi13:** It does have its funny parts. Thank you. Expect a rather long story here. Thank you for the favorite story and author as well.

**Tsubasa Hane:** Haha! Lots of my friends and family stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading as well so don't feel bad. The guitar lessons are amusing however. I don't know if the cuteness rivals that of Tsubasa Chronicle but it's definitely a compliment if you're comparing them so thanks! Hope you like the next chapter!


	5. Frustration

* * *

**Disclaimer**

* * *

Still not blessed with owning these lovely characters or the storyline I've corrupted everso wonderfully.

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Frustration**

* * *

My eyes slowly opened. I was slightly dizzy and noticed that I wasn't getting any input except gray from my right eye. The first sensation was aching. It covered my entire right side and my left shoulder. I wondered briefly where I was. An annoying beeping was occurring as well. At even intervals it would go off. I glanced to my right and discovered what the source was. 

I stared idly at the heart rate monitor that was attached to me. The little line was slowly going up and down and beeping every time it crossed a certain threshold. It could be almost hypnotic if I watched it for too long. What had happened? I tried to remember back to the accident. My head hurt. I got bits and pieces of it back at a time. Yes… I remember your face so clearly. That look of surprise as you fell backwards. Why had I chosen to do what I had? To me the choice looked quite simple really. I would rather have it be me than you.

There was no point in thinking about it further then that. I tried to sigh but it hurt to inhale that much. How much damage to my lungs was there? I just lay there instead and tried to remember how I had gotten into this mess…

**

* * *

**

Convention

* * *

I waved as hard as I could. My mother was waving back from behind the metal detectors. She had just made it in through the security. This time she only had to go through seven times! She is one of those people that always sets off the detectors at least five times and must be searched for anything metal. Kisa's mother had made it through the first time. They were about to leave for their big Castle Tour Convention. I thought it sounded kind of boring but Mother is into that sort of thing. My only problem was…

I looked over to my left. Standing there as always was Kisa. I'm proud to call her my girlfriend now… It was a long time coming with some serious trials in-between but we had finally acknowledged it! The problem that I was referring to was actually in her arms. My two year old sister, Hinata, was left behind to be taken care of by me and Kisa. Kisa adored her but the only problem is that if I ever hug her or even try to hold her, poof, I'm a sheep. I must admit though, Kisa looked really good holding her. I had never really pictured Kisa in a motherly way before but she was a natural. My sister had stopped crying almost immediately after Kisa picked her up. She could walk a little bit by herself but she wasn't the most graceful at it and in a crowded place like this, carrying her was much better.

After we had seen our mothers off both of us turned and started heading out of the airport. I felt bad that Kisa had to carry my sister the entire time but there wasn't exactly a lot I could do about it. The stares we got on the way out were actually kind of funny. Kisa is fifteen at the moment but looks a LOT younger than that. I'm a year younger than Kisa but look slightly older, or so I'm told. Here we are, walking through the airport side by side acting like a couple, and Kisa is carrying a two year old. Although we didn't really have to act, the only fake part of the picture a random onlooker would see is the fact that the two year old is actually my sister… It certainly freaked some people out though!

We exited the airport and started the long walk home. We had used the family cars to get here but since neither of us were old enough to have a license, we had to walk back home. The cars would stay in the parking lot until four days from now when our parents would get back. We walked most of the way back in silence because Kisa was far too busy playing with my sister for her to really hold a conversation. I didn't mind though. She looked cute playing so I just watched.

Needless to say, my sister was quite tired by the time we made it home and was sleeping on Kisa's shoulder. We put her in her room upstairs to sleep until, hopefully, a long while later. Kisa turned to me after we had shut the door.

"Are you hungry, Hiro? I could make us some lunch…" she asked.

I thought about it for a second before replying, "Sure. I need to get my shower in anyway."

Kisa nodded and headed downstairs. I watched her go and smiled. We had talked about this already before. We had decided, using basic common sense, that one house would be easier to take care of than two. So Kisa decided to just stay at my house the entire four days and do all the cooking from there, making only one mess to clean up. This would also save us from having to walk back and forth between the two houses. We hadn't really informed our parents of this decision but I'm sure they would agree that it was a rather smart idea!

I quickly got into the shower and started washing my hair. I had no idea how long it would take Kisa to finish lunch and I didn't want to keep her waiting. I managed to finish in about ten minutes and headed downstairs to check on how Kisa was doing. After I rounded the corner and entered the kitchen I was struck by an amusing sight! Kisa was wearing my mother's cooking apron and busying herself at the kitchen counter. She looked so much like Mother would that I had to stop and think for a moment to recognize her. After a couple of moments of just staring, locked in place, she must have noticed me…

"Oh… hello, Hiro! Done with your shower?" she asked, turning around. Her staring at me smiling in the cooking apron from the kitchen counter looked so cute I tried my hardest to take a mental "snapshot" of it. "Um…? Are you ok, Hiro?" she asked after a couple of seconds. Oops…

"Oh… um… sorry. I'm ok! You just looked so cute in that apron that it surprised me!" I responded with a smile. Not quite cute but I couldn't come up with another word for it at the moment.

She blushed then and nodded. "Thanks! I actually don't know why I thought to wear this. It's not like I'm working with anything that messy…"

"That doesn't stop it from looking good on you…" I replied, moving slightly closer.

"Oh, Hiro… stop it…" The pink turned into a rosy red color. I kissed her on the cheek. She was rather warm… I moved away from her then and sat down at the table. I almost laughed then. Less than a week ago I thought this would have been the most wonderful dream. I had just seen Kisa in a cooking apron and walked right up and kissed her. She responded positively too. Normally my dreams… well, nightmares, would have her pronouncing her never-ending hatred for me after that, just to get on my nerves! I sighed then. Hopefully my sister wouldn't cause too much trouble and I would get a lot of time with Kisa…

I then remembered something that I could still do now that Mother was gone. Running upstairs, I ignored questioning looks from Kisa and entered my room. Detaching the DVD player from my TV I carried it downstairs and hooked it up to the big screen. Kisa watched me briefly while I was doing this and smiled. I thought that she would like watching our Anime on a big screen. If we watched a relatively PG-13 one I might even let my sister watch with us…

Just after I had gotten the DVD player hooked up Kisa called that lunch was ready. I walked back into the dinning room and we sat down to eat. I didn't exactly know how good of a cook Kisa was before I started eating, so I was kind of wary. Kisa noticed the first expression on my face after I took my first bite. Now that I thought about it she had waited for me to start eating and had watched for my reaction. My eyes went wide after the first bite. I heard a sharp intake of breath from Kisa. I knew she had been getting lessons from Tohru, but wow! The food was delicious! I started to rapidly eat it. Kisa was laughing now.

"I take it the food meets your approval?" she asked, still laughing.

I quickly swallowed and smiled over at her. "It's delicious! Where did you learn to cook like this, Kisa?"

"I thought you knew I was getting Sis to teach me…" I sighed. For this brief moment, the Riceball wasn't that bad. I pushed the thought out of my head. She could still distract Kisa for hours at a time… Kisa started to eat as well so I resumed. It only took five minutes to finish and I certainly didn't feel much like moving afterwards. Then I noticed that Kisa started to gather the plates up and take them towards the sink. I started to assist her by gathering the rest of the plates. She set into washing them almost immediately so I got on the other side of her and dried them with a towel once she was done. Kisa smiled at me when she noticed I was helping her so I guess she approved. It was the least I could do for such a great meal.

I was so distracted helping Kisa that I didn't hear the door open. The next thing I knew, as I was glancing over to say something to her… it hit us. We were covered in a bath of light. Kisa just blinked as she stared at me. We both turned around to find Momiji leaning against the wall. I growled.

"I thought I would drop by to find out how the new couple was doing in their house. You two looked so much like you were married there that I just had to get a picture…" Momiji explained with a grin. Kisa started to turn pink. I suddenly felt like cramming that camera down his throat! Walking towards him, I started to speak.

"Is there an actual reason you're here or are you just tormenting us? Technically you don't have our permission to be in here so it could be considered breaking and entering…"

"When your door was unlocked?" he shook his head. I had reached him by now and promptly glared down at him. He continued anyway, "Besides, I thought that you would be happy that I called you a couple. You worked so hard to…" Kisa cut him off.

"Can I get some of your pictures once you have them developed?" she asked quietly. Both me and Momiji turned and probably gave her the same stunned look. She was glancing back and forth between us.

"What? I would like to put some on my wall at home. I would pay you for the copies… don't worry about that." She added. She wasn't upset that he was taking the pictures? I felt slightly better. Then I thought about all the ones he has taken.

"You could get me the one you took when we first entered Kisa's walkway… and the one where she was supporting my weight after she crushed me would be funny too." I said to a now VERY shocked Momiji.

"I said I was sorry about that!" Kisa pleaded. I just smiled at her.

"I know. I just thought it would be funny to have a copy…" I replied. She started smiling at me then. Whew…

I glanced back over at Momiji who seemed to have recovered. Before I could say anything he was already talking in fast, excited tones. Oh no…

"Ok! I will get a copy of the entire set for each of you as soon as possible!" He said with a very excited smile on his face. He then rushed out of the house before I could say that I didn't need an entire set. I shrugged then glanced over Kisa. She was just smiling at me. It would seem that she was surprised that I had wanted a set too. We went back to drying dishes…

* * *

**Night Falls**

* * *

It was about seven o'clock now and we had just finished washing the dishes from dinner. My sister had only woken up a little while after lunch but Kisa was here to take care of her. I just watched Kisa feed and play with her for a couple hours. I managed to only turn into a sheep three times during this! My sister thinks its great fun to charge her brother and hug him. She knows what will happen and doesn't hesitate to continue hugging me after I reach her level of height. Kisa would laugh every time this happened in spite of my complaints. Oh well… 

During this third time I was halfway through gathering my clothes back up when I noticed Kisa was looking over at me. My short tail started moving back and forth of its own accord and she laughed. I sighed and continued gathering my clothes when it happened. Poof. I had transformed back right then and there! Usually I at least had time to carry my stuff back into the lower bathroom and wait it out! Kisa's eyes widened and she quickly looked away. My sister started laughing at her. I don't know if she actually knew what was happening but the face that Kisa was making must have been amusing anyway. I sighed and quickly scampered back behind the chair. I decided to just get dressed there. I shouted up over the chair when I was done.

"Sorry about that, Kisa!"

"It's not like you pick the times when you transform back… Don't worry, I didn't see anything." She laughed at the end of that sentence. I stood up and walked back around the chair. I decided that now would be a good time to start watching Anime so I ran back upstairs and grabbed all of the funny ones I could find. I let Kisa pick this time and all three of us sat down on the couch to watch. I was beside Kisa with my arm around her shoulders. Kisa had her head on my shoulder and was holding my sister in her lap. Thankfully my sister was relatively quiet and fell asleep halfway through the first DVD. We took a break to tuck her into bed before starting the second DVD.

I sat back down on the end of the couch. Kisa surprised me then and lay down on the couch. She rested her head in my lap and continued watching at an angle. I smiled down at her and absently started playing with her hair as we watched. Suddenly I was very glad that my DVD player held three DVDs at a time. I certainly didn't feel like disturbing Kisa. By the end of the Third DVD I was getting a little sleepy. It had been a long day because I had to get up early to help my mother pack. I glanced down at Kisa to ask if she was getting sleepy as well.

"Hey, Kisa?" I asked quietly. There was no response so I tried again.

"Kisa?" I asked, a little bit louder this time. She made a slight murmuring sound and just shifted her hands and head a little bit in my lap. She was sleeping? I watched her sleep for a little bit. She still looked like an angel to me. I nudged her gently on the shoulder after a couple of minutes. Her eyes opened slowly and she turned her head in my lap to look up at me sleepily.

"I guess you are getting tired…" I said with a smile. She returned my smile.

"Yeah. Taking care of your sister can be exhausting…" she replied, slurring some of her words together because of sleep. I looked away slightly and sighed. I wish I could help her more but I lose a lot of my physical abilities when I'm a sheep. She shook her head. "I don't mind though. She's really cute and I enjoy taking care of her. I just wish that I had a sister sometimes…" I felt like saying that she might be Kisa's sister in the future but held my tongue. Instead I replaced it.

"You really like my sister that much?" I asked, looking back towards her.

"Well… yes, but I like all kids. I don't know why. I told my mother that I want kids when I get older and she just laughed. She said she couldn't wait for the day though." She got that far away look in her eyes again. Kisa had never told me anything like this before.

"I think that you would make a great mother… You certainly are good with kids." I replied eventually. She snapped out of her daze and looked up at me again.

"You think so?" she asked with a little bit of surprise in her voice. I simply nodded.

Kisa sat up then and spun into a sitting position. I got up off the couch then and watched her. She stood up and smiled at me. I walked over to the TV and turned it off, followed quickly by the DVD player. After both were properly shut off I walked upstairs and brushed my teeth. Kisa was sitting on my bed when I came back into my room. She looked up when I got there, then stood and walked past me. I lay down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. After a couple of minutes I remembered the blankets and quickly rushed to the closet to get them. It only took me a couple of minutes to fully turn the couch into a proper bed for Kisa. I smiled at my handiwork and stood back to admire it before returning to my bed. I had decided to wear a light pair of shorts and a loose T-Shirt to bed. Normally I don't bother with clothes but that could be a problem tonight so I picked the most comfortable ones I could find.

After a few minutes of waiting I heard my door close. I glanced over at Kisa as she entered. She was wearing a white nightgown with light yellow frills. It looked really cute on her. I just watched as she reached over to the light switch. I was suddenly plunged into darkness. I could hear her moving in the dark and briefly wondered if she could find her way to the couch in the dark. My question was answered, kind of, in a couple of seconds. She had made her way around the bed. I suddenly felt a weight tilt the mattress slightly. What? I sat up.

"What are you doing Kisa?" I asked hesitantly.

"Um… going to sleep?" she asked, confused.

My eyes started to adjust to the dark and I saw her looking up at me. She had slid under the covers of MY bed…

"I had made the couch up for you if you wanted to sleep there instead," I explained.

"Well the couch is ok but not very comfortable. I will sleep on it if you don't want me sleeping here." There was a slightly sad undertone to those statements. I had a minor moral conflict.

"I just didn't want you to feel obligated to, that's all." I tried to explain.

"I saw that you had made the couch up silly. I wanted to!" she said in a playful voice. I felt slightly better.

"You just want to test your dream proximity theory…" I teased. I didn't have to see her clearly to know that her eyes widened just then.

"How did you know about that?" she asked in disbelief.

"Haru told me all about it," I replied.

I heard a sharp intake of breath. There was a rather long pause there and Kisa stiffened. She still thought that I would start yelling at her, I thought sadly.

"I'm sorry Hiro! I didn't mean to tell Haru but it slipped out…" she explained.

"After you finished telling him about sleeping in the same bed as me?" I asked. Yes this was a little evil but I wasn't actually mad at her so it wouldn't amount to anything.

Another slightly shorter intake of breath and a pause came from Kisa. I felt a hand carefully cover mine, the one that I was using to prop myself up in the sitting position. "I'm sorry but I just had to tell someone… I didn't know at that time if it was right and I had to find out…"

I smiled at her then. "Don't worry. I'm not that upset. Haru said he wouldn't tell anyone else so there shouldn't be problems." I rotated my hand around and started playing with her palm using my fingers. It must have tickled because she giggled then. I let go and slid back down into the laying position on my side. I felt her slide into me then and put her hands on my chest. I instinctively wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her back.

"Thanks for understanding Hiro…" she said. She moved forward a little more and placed a kiss on my cheek before laying her head down on the pillow beside of me. I smiled at her and placed my head on the pillow as well. There was just something comforting about feeling her breathing and heartbeat. Soon I was sound asleep.

* * *

**Dreamscape**

* * *

I was floating in darkness. How boring, I thought. I had been hoping for another dream of the park. All of a sudden things started to fade out of the black nothingness. Various objects from the park appeared followed by the ground itself. It was nighttime but the park was well light because of the large lamps everywhere. The city had finally taken the people's suggestion to put lamps up to prevent and dissuade robberies and other such nasty events in the park at night. Stupid idiots refused to take action until a young girl was killed here. I shook my head. I had refused to take Kisa here for almost a month afterwards. 

I noticed movement to my left and quickly glanced in that direction. Kisa was approaching me glancing around at the various objects. I turned towards her then.

"Hey, Kisa!" I shouted. Test time…

"Oh? Hey, Hiro! You picked the park again?" She smiled at me then. Hmm…

"Yeah. This time I actually had a choice in the matter. Are you actually Kisa, though, or are you a random dream image?" I said with a smile.

"I feel like myself…" She looked down and noticed she was still wearing the white and yellow lace nightgown. "Oops…" It quickly started to shift into a white tank top and shorts. She had a preference for white too, I noticed. I didn't bother to try to change her this time, deciding to just trust her. I smirked then.

"Now that you're dressed, do you want to do something?" I asked.

"Um… what can we do here?"

"It's a dream silly. Anything we want…" I replied.

"Really? Well… There was one thing…" She said hesitantly. I tilted my head.

"What is it?" I asked gently. "You can tell me."

"Well… fly. I had a dream a long time ago that I was soaring through the air. I enjoyed it…" she responded at last.

I smiled again. With a little bit of focus I felt my feet lifting off the ground. I drifted over to her then. She stared at me in awe.

"Just imagine yourself lifting off the ground. It's kind of like how you changed your appearance." I responded to her stare.

She closed her eyes and stood strait. I felt a wind starting to pick up? I looked around but couldn't tell which direction it was coming from. After closer inspection I discovered that it was coming from below us? Kisa's hair started to lift up slightly from the gust. I was mesmerized by it flowing casually in the air. She lifted up off the ground all of a sudden and opened her eyes, smiling.

"I did it!" she exclaimed happily… I nodded towards her then, extending my field of vision to the city beyond the park. Time for a little amusement, I thought. I grinned at her then. She raised her right eyebrow in curiosity. I did a small wave to her before shooting off across the night sky. "Hey!" I heard behind me. I glanced back and she was following me at great speed. Wow, she was a fast learner. I felt the wind blow through my hair and I zipped between the buildings. She was right on my tail! I smiled back at her then. She was laughing happily while following me. I reversed my direction in midair and flew back towards her. Her eyes widened in surprise but too late… I snatched her out of the air and we zipped downward towards a building rooftop. It was like the roof of the building was a trampoline though and we just bounced along it. Kisa was still laughing as we came to a stop. I guess I was laughing too, now that I think about it. I sat there on the roof, cross-legged. She was resting on her stomach, supporting her head with her hands while she looked at me. For a while we just gazed into each other's eyes. Then I heard crying? Kisa looked around, confused.

"What is that?" Kisa asked.

"It's coming from outside our dream… We should probably check on it…" I replied. I started pulling myself out of the dream and back to my body. I felt Kisa get hauled along with me.

My eyes opened. For the second time I found myself staring into Kisa's. We both sat up slowly and stared at each other sleepily. It was raining outside and I could see flashes of light every once in a while followed by a shaking boom. I sighed. The crying was coming from my sister's room.

"She is afraid of thunder…" I explained.

"Oh…" Kisa got up out of bed and walked out of the room. I decided to follow. She walked across the hall and into my sister's room.

"It's ok… calm down," I heard Kisa say as she picked my sister up. I just watched from the doorway. It took almost a half an hour to get her calmed down to the point of sleeping again. Both of us walked back into our room and sat back down on the bed. Our room? I get adapted really quickly, I mentally noted.

"Did you enjoy flying?" I asked her after a few seconds.

"Yes, I did! It was great fun!" She responded happily. I glanced at the clock then and dully noted that it was 4:30am.

"I'm going back to sleep…" I announced, lying down.

"I think I will join you." She replied, laying down and sliding back into me. We resumed our earlier position and quickly slipped back into our dream. We sat there on the edge of the building top for the rest of the night. We simply held hands and watched the sun rise on the horizon. I could really get used to spending my waking AND sleeping hours with Kisa…

* * *

**Morning**

* * *

I sat there in the crisp hours of morning. I had just woken up from a really fun dream. Hiro, as usual, woke up at the same time as me and sat there sleepily. He looked so cute that I just had to crawl over and hug him. He turned and smiled at me then. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he slid me sideways into his lap. He then planted a large kiss right on my lips. I started kissing him back and slipped my arms around his neck. I felt like just staying here and cuddling but I soon heard a rather large rumbling noise. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that it had come from his stomach. I giggled then, breaking the kiss. 

"Hungry?" I asked.

He nodded slightly, as if trying to decide for himself. I broke out of the hug and walked towards the door. "I will get cooking breakfast then…" I spoke as I walked out of the room. As I was cooking I realized that we were almost out of milk. I will have to send Hiro out for some more. The shower started upstairs then and I glanced upwards, smiling. Again I wondered if it was really ok to sleep in the same bed as Hiro, but as long as nobody found out about it, I guess it was ok. I sighed then before going back to cooking.

By the time Hiro was done with his shower I had finished cooking breakfast and made a mental note to take a shower after Hiro left for the milk.

"Were almost out of milk, Hiro. Can you make a trip to the store and get some after breakfast?" I asked as he came down the stairs.

"Sure…" he replied simply. His hair was still damp from the shower and drooped slightly. I couldn't hold back the giggle. He glanced over at me and then followed my gaze up to his hair. I feigned a scream as he shook his head and sprayed us all with water. I walked back into the kitchen and brought the two plates of food back to the table. We sat in silence as we ate breakfast. I'm happy that doing so much during your dreams doesn't exhaust you when you wake up. Hiro finished before me, as usual.

"I think I am going to head over to the store. If I get there early enough, maybe it won't be as crowded." He explained. I watched him walk off towards the door.

"Good idea! Be careful out there…" I said as I smiled at him. He nodded briefly and returned my smile before heading outside. I finished eating and went upstairs to take a shower. I had expected him to be back by the time that I got out but he wasn't. I checked on Hinata quickly, but she was still sleeping. After wandering downstairs I started doing dishes. There weren't that many dishes, but he still wasn't back. I started to worry about him.

Horrible thoughts started to go through my head of him being mugged or hit by a car… I didn't know what to do. I decided I needed advice so I called Shigure's house.

"Sohma residence, Tohru Honda speaking," Came through the receiver, it was Sis!

"Sis!" I happily exclaimed.

"Kisa? What's up?" she responded.

"I don't know where Hiro is. I sent him out for milk almost an hour ago but he hasn't come back yet!" I explained.

"Calm down… I'm sure nothing has happened to him. He is a very resourceful kid."

"I know but I can't help it."

"Aww… It's ok. I know what you mean. When did you get there today?" Sis asked. Uh oh…

"Um… ah… about eight this morning to cook breakfast." I responded. I never have been the greatest at lying… There was a large pause in the conversation.

"You never left did you?" she asked next. I felt the blood freeze in my veins. Hiro had said everything would be ok as long as no one else knew.

"Um… Well…" I found myself muttering. I wasn't good at quickly thinking on my feet like Hiro was.

"Kisa, it's ok. I don't mind if you stay there. It would probably be easier than walking back and forth all the time," she replied in a calm voice.

"Well… Yes, then. I did stay here last night. If something happened to Hiro's sister in the middle of the night…" I tried to explain myself.

"I won't tell anyone, don't worry. Besides, it's good that you two are spending so much time…" She stopped there.

"What's the matter?" I asked confused.

"Hiro was just let inside by Yuki… He is over here." Sis said. I was overjoyed. He was alright… Sis continued, "I had better let you go."

"Ok! Thanks for the help! Talk to you later!"

"Ok! See you later, Kisa!" There was a click afterwards. I listened to the dial tone for a little bit. What was Hiro doing there? Usually the only reason you would see him at Shigure's would be if I'm there. I pondered this as I hung up the phone and wandered back into the living room. I slid back into my chair…

My eyes opened and I looked around. After glancing at the clock I realized that it was almost ten. We had eaten at eight-thirty. I sighed and sat up. Then I heard the front door opening. I rushed into the entry hall and saw Hiro entering the house with a carton of milk. I just stared at him as he walked to the counter and set the milk down. Before I knew what had happened I was across the room and hugging him.

"Sorry that I took so long, Kisa…" I felt his hands rubbing my back.

"Where did you go?" I asked.

"Well I got an idea as I was walking downtown so I dropped by a couple of places to talk to some people and arranged something." I raised my eyebrow at this. He was being quite vague. He continued, "Then I dropped by Shigure's for a little bit to talk to your Sis." My eyes widened. I had never heard him use my affectionate nickname for her, nor had I expected that he would ever seek her out to talk with her.

"Oh? What's going on?" I asked as he broke away from me and walked towards the dining room. He turned again when he heard me and put a finger to his lips.

"Shh. It's a secret," he replied with a smile. He walked out of the room leaving a very confused me behind…

* * *

**Good Intentions**

* * *

It was all working out lovely! I had made all of the necessary arrangements and Kisa didn't know a thing… We had gone about the day like normal. Kisa cooked lunch at about one and my sister was awake by then. We all ate together and then my sister played while we finished the dishes. I had felt bad about not being here to help with breakfast's dishes. Hopefully, I could make up for it this evening. 

After washing the dishes we watched another DVD until about four. She should be here in about ten minutes… I excused myself to the bathroom. I quickly changed and prepared. This was going to be such a nice surprise! I hated dressing up, but for Kisa it would be worth it. It wasn't exactly a tux but I had the dress shoes, pants, a nice white shirt, and a pressed jacket. Everything except the shirt was black. I adjusted a tie on my neck. It took me a while to get it properly adjusted because I had never put one on myself before. I was messing around with my hair when I heard a knock from downstairs. She's here…

I quickly started down the stairs but Kisa had already opened the door. Tohru stepped through holding out a back-pack to a very confused Kisa.

"You might need some of these." I heard Tohru say from here.

"Um… what are they?" Kisa asked in a confused voice. I took this moment to step around the corner.

Tohru looked up at me and smiled. Kisa glanced over from the bag to me and actually dropped it! Tohru was quicker than I remembered, though, and caught it by the strap before anything inside it broke. Kisa didn't seem to notice that it was absent from her hands because she still held them out like she was holding it. Her eyes traveled the entire length of my body and back up to my face. I managed to hold my smile.

"Wha… what is going on?" she asked in a slightly shocked voice.

"I have decided that you shouldn't be cooking tonight so I'm going to take you out instead." I replied calmly.

"But… but your sister!" she exclaimed.

I simply glanced behind her at Tohru. Kisa turned around to look at her as well before saying, "Oh…" She spun back around and I noticed she was getting pink in the face again. "Are you sure about this? I mean, by the way you're dressed…" She looked down at my suit again. I laughed.

"Actually I'm probably a little over-dressed but not too much."

Kisa looked at the backpack Tohru was holding. Tohru handed it over to her and she opened it up.

"Oh! I see now…" Kisa looked up and smiled at Tohru.

"Better go and get ready…" Tohru advised. Kisa nodded and ran upstairs.

I walked over to Tohru. She reached into her pocket, withdrew a key, and handed it to me.

"Did you re-lock the house after getting her stuff?" I asked. Tohru nodded happily. I sighed. Reaching into my back pocket I withdrew my wallet. Tohru's eyes widened.

"Oh no! I can't accept any money for this. I like watching your little sister and I'm glad you and Kisa are going to have fun," she explained.

"If you're sure." I said. She nodded.

I shrugged and pocketed the wallet again. If the Riceball wanted to do this for free, even better for me. I just thought I should be official about this. After about fifteen minutes, Kisa came walking down the stairs. I watched every step she took. She was in a white dress with slightly pink frills. The equally white shoes had two inch heels on them. She had a white choker on with a yellow rose design on the front of it. She took the stairs one at a time and held the bottom of her dress up off the ground with each hand. I was mesmerized by her. As she approached the bottom I could smell her perfume as well. She smelled of fresh flowers. I continued to stare at her as she approached. When she reached me she extended her right hand and closed my jaw? Oops… I looked away slightly as I felt heat enter my face. She giggled then.

We headed towards the door. Tohru followed us into the entry hall.

"Don't worry about your sister. I will take good care of her. Just have fun!" she shouted as we walked down the steps. You had better take good care of her, I thought. I really wished that I could drive us. It was kind of embarrassing having to walk the entire distance. The sun was just starting to set and the air was clean and crisp. Kisa looked gorgeous in her dress and I was proud to be with her. Whenever I tried to dress up I could never get rid of the child look about me. She slipped her right arm through my looped left and we walked the rest of the way like that. After a couple of minutes we reached the restaurant that I had chosen. It wasn't the most expensive place in town but it wouldn't choke you with the atmosphere either. I was hoping for a more lighthearted experience. We stood outside the doors. Kisa looked over at me then. "You got reservations for here for us? What IS this about anyway? What did I do to deserve this?" She asked.

"This is our first official 'date' so I wanted it to be special…" I replied. She just smiled up at me.

"Hiro… I don't deserve this…" she replied. I shook my head.

"You're right, you deserve much more but this is the best I could do on such short notice," I said, smiling. Then I added, "The waiting list on some of the other places probably could have circled the earth and I wanted to have fun tonight, so yeah…" I looked away slightly to my right. I hope she will have a little fun at least.

"No… this is perfect, Hiro!" I felt her squeeze my arm and glanced over at her. She was smiling up at me with those beautiful golden-brown eyes of hers. I sighed.

"Shall we, then?" I asked. She simply nodded.

I reached out and opened the door, letting her in. It was dimmer than expected inside and I had to adjust my eyes. The entry of the place had beautiful arrangements of flowers clustered on the top of two small pillars on each side of the inner door. There was lovely artwork hanging on each wall. I had picked a nice place, I thought while watching Kisa look at the art arrangements. I approached the Maitre'd with Kisa still on my arm. She detached when we neared him and I walked a couple of steps ahead of her. He looked slightly downwards at me.

"Name, please?" he asked as we approached.

"Sohma, Hiro Sohma," I replied.

He nodded and started looking through a book that was on the podium. After flipping through a couple of pages he looks back up at me.

"Ah yes. We have found your reservation, Mr. Sohma. Please follow me." He started walking then. I followed loosely behind him and Kisa caught up to my left again. We got a window seat looking out on the city from the hill. It was quite a nice view, really. I looked back at Kisa and she looked nervous. I tilted my head at her.

"What's wrong, Kisa?" I asked softly.

"I'm not used to this kind of attention, that's all," she explained.

I smiled at her then. I wish there was a way I could get her to relax a little bit…

"You do look great though," I commented.

"Aww… thanks, Hiro. I'm not THAT pretty but I appreciate you telling me that," she replied. I don't think I could have hid my look of disbelief if I tried. I laughed a little then. She looked confused.

"Kisa, I think you're beautiful. I'm sure you could take a survey from every guy in here and they would say the same thing," I replied, not an ounce of exaggeration in my voice.

"Hiro…" She was turning slightly pink again. She had to break this mental view of herself. I continued.

"You haven't realized it at all, have you?" I asked.

"Realized what?" she asked, seemingly confused.

"All of those girls in your school. The reason they tease you?"

"Um… because they think I look weird. They already told me that." She looked downward.

I shook my head. "And you believed them? After everything they had done to prove that they could lie through their teeth just to try and hurt you?"

She looked back up at me with a surprised expression. "Then why?"

I shook my head again. She didn't realize. "Kisa… they were threatened by you. They saw you with your beautiful golden-brown locks of soft hair, equally beautiful and bright eyes, and your unearthly grace walking in their school. They knew they didn't have a chance to match it so they dealt with it the only way they knew how. They tried to reduce your beauty. They cut at you with everything they could muster to reduce your spirit, confidence, and will. They all were THAT threatened by you." I just let my explanation fall and looked out the window again. I glanced back over at Kisa and she was just staring at me. A look of shock was covering her face. I smiled at her then. "I just wish you hadn't let their ploy get to you like you did…" I added sadly.

We sat there in silence for a couple of minutes before I looked back up at her. Her face was the light pink. She was starting to cry again and I was glad she wasn't wearing makeup. She was smiling though? "You really mean it?"

"Of course. You're the most beautiful girl I know," I responded.

"Oh Hiro… I love you," she said smiling at me.

"And I love you, Kisa," I replied.

We sat in silence for a while longer before a waitress came to take our order. After we ordered, I decided to engage in my favorite pastime: gazing at Kisa. I used to be afraid to, but now that she knew my true feelings I don't have to look away when she sees me. We calmly stared at each other until the food arrived.

It was expertly prepared food but for some odd reason it didn't taste as good as some of the meals Kisa makes. There was something missing. It was intangible, though, and I couldn't tell what. The main course lasted almost an hour. Kisa, to my relief, seemed to have loosened up tremendously. I was just waiting for the dessert. When the waitress noticed that we were almost done eating she hurried off into the kitchen. Two waiters rolled a tray out of the kitchen. There was a silver platter on the tray. A masterfully crafted cake sat on the platter. Three lovely layers of chocolate icing and strawberry cake never looked so good. Everyone watched in awe as they rolled it out. Kisa gave me a shocked, questioning look. They rolled it right up to our table. Kisa's face was a bright scarlet color. The head chef presented it.

"This cake was made in celebration of your first date. A gift from a Hiro Sohma." He was addressing her like I had requested. I smiled. She was looking around the room. EVERYONE was staring at us. I didn't mind really but I think she was rather embarrassed. The head chef continued, "Would you like to eat it here our have us deliver it to a residence of your choice?"

"Um… There is no way that I could eat all of that here!" she replied in a nervous voice.

"Would you like to enjoy a slice here then and have the rest delivered?" he inquired. All she could manage was a nod. I heard some people behind us starting to laugh. A couple "aww"s could be heard as well.

"Where do you wish it to be delivered to?" He asked next.

"Um… If it's coming tomorrow, then Hiro's house… The address is…"

"He has already informed us that this would be the default house so you do not have to concern yourself." He bows low and cuts two medium slices. He places them on plates and passes it to us. The waiters then wheel the cake into the back again.

"Do enjoy." The head chef bows once more and walks into the kitchen.

Kisa quickly turns back towards me. Her face probably couldn't get any more flushed. "Hiro! You did NOT have to do all of this!"

I just beamed at her. "Again you're right, but I WANTED to…"

She looked down at the slice in front of her and shook her head.

"You treat me TOO well, Hiro…" she finally said.

"That's impossible." I commented before starting to munch on the cake.

We sat there munching in relative silence for a couple more minutes. I knew that she liked chocolate and strawberries so I hope I picked wisely with the cake. When we were done I stood up and walked around the table to escort her as well. She again slid her hand through my looped arm and we walked towards the exit. The waiter handed me a check on the way out. It was for the excess that hadn't been used up by what we ordered. I had arranged to have the entire night paid for ahead of time so Kisa wouldn't know how much I had actually spent. I had also said to deduct the standard 15 from what they gave me back as well for a tip. Now if the flowers were delivered like promised tomorrow, all would have worked out perfectly. I smiled to myself.

We stepped outside into the night air. It was a warm breeze, though. I smiled over at Kisa. She was just staring at me. "Why did you do all of those things for me tonight? I don't deserve any of that…"

"I told you before, I love you. That's why you DO deserve all that." I replied.

"Hiro…" She slipped her arms around my waist and gently hugged me. I hugged her back briefly and we continued walking. She was trailing to my left again and looking in shop windows as we walked by.

"Oh wow… That looks cool!" I heard her say as she fell behind a little bit. I turned to look. There was a lovely light-yellow dress in the store window. Kisa was looking at it smiling. I made a mental note of the dress for possibly her birthday or Christmas. The light changed so I started to cross the street without her. She noticed and hurried to catch up…

* * *

**Disaster**

* * *

Time seemed to get stuck again. I had heard the motor but there shouldn't have been any way for me to react in time, the way I did. I sensed it coming. Thought processes were out of the question. I flung myself backwards with all of my force. Somehow I managed to rotate in the air so I was facing downwards. I saw that Kisa was about a foot off the sidewalk, her smile just starting to melt into shock. Both of my hands collided with her shoulders, pushing her backwards. Her feet left the ground and she went backwards towards the sidewalk. Everything seemed so slow. Why is it that in moments of crisis, time grinds to a halt, and in moments of happiness it's over way too quickly? 

I felt relief wash over me as her feet left the area of the road. The relief was only temporary as the crushing pain hit the right side of my body. I felt myself lifted out of my spot in the air, followed by a sickening crunching sound. I wondered, almost calmly, how many of my ribs had just broken… The screeching of tires assaulted my ears. I wasn't being pushed through the air anymore but instead was flung. Everything was numb. No pain was being processed at all, which was probably a good thing. It seemed to take an eternity for me to move through the air and hit pavement again. There was another snapping noise from my shoulder when I touched down. My head sadly managed to skim the raised area between the road and the sidewalk before I started rolling. I counted. Eight rotations before I came to a complete stop… Luckily I was on my back. I stared up at the stars as I heard Kisa scream. I hoped she was alright… I heard the sound of a door opening on a large truck. Probably the one that had just inflicted a tremendous amount of damage on me, I thought. Time seemed to speed up again when it noticed I didn't need a slow motion account of all the bad things that were happening. I didn't even attempt to move. I felt warmth starting to move down my face. There was an annoying beeping noise going off near me. It sounded like a cell phone but I couldn't be sure.

"Hiro!" I heard. It was Kisa. I felt so bad. Our first date was going perfectly until now. Why did I have to ruin it for her? I felt two hands on my chest all of a sudden. They were shaking. My perfect view of the sky was interrupted by her face. The warmth reached my right eye and my vision was tinted red so I closed it. Why was I so stupid? Everything had been going so perfectly. I felt a drop of wetness hit my left cheek. Kisa was crying again. I did have a knack for making her cry, it would seem.

"Hiro… say something…" she whimpered. Why did it matter? Of course I hadn't been moving and about the only way that she could really tell that I was alive was my voice…

"Hey, Kisa… Are you… hurt…?" I asked weakly.

She smiled at me then and shook her head, sending tears in either direction. If I had mobility of either of my arms I might have tried to access my tissue pocket. I felt relieved that she wasn't hurt though. I had pushed her pretty hard… I started to get a little light-headed all of a sudden and my vision dimmed a little bit. You idiot! You don't know how many internal injuries you have! This might be your last chance…

I smiled up at her then. "I love you, Kisa…" It came out as a whisper but her eyes widened further. Everything darkened yet again. I could barely see her.

"Hiro… I…" I heard, then nothing. I fell backwards into darkness, and for some reason I was happy…

* * *

**Aftermath**

* * *

I opened my eyes again. That was all that I could remember. It seemed accurate though. I wonder what Kisa had said though. I resumed my previous sadness. Kisa's first date of her life and I get myself hit by a truck… Would she ever forgive me? I decided to take better analysis of my room before continuing in thoughts. 

I seemed to be in a general preparation room. By the look of the bandages on my arms and chest it would seem that I had already gone through an operation. It would have to have been an emergency one however as I doubt my mother had gotten home to sign anything yet. I saw a clock on the wall. It was non-digital though and read five o-clock. In the morning, or evening? I had a feeling it was the morning. Briefly I wondered if Kisa had gotten any sleep or not.

I was in mid thought when the door opened up. It was on the left wall and opposite my bed. A man stuck his head in through the door and glanced briefly at me. I stared back at him calmly, wearing no expression.

"Are you awake now?" he asked quietly.

"Give me your definition of awake, please…" I replied sarcastically. This was so irritating. I wanted information.

"Ah… You've kept your sense of humor too, I see. Good." I just stared at him and waited for him to continue. "Do you remember what happened to you?" he then asked.

"I remember everything perfectly well up until the point where I was bleeding all over the ground and staring up at the sky." I replied.

The doctor laughed then. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be if he could still laugh.

"Yes… well, you did get hit by a large truck. The driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. He's at the police station right now under questioning, but that's what they told us so far." He walked into the room further and sat down on the small chair near a sink. I briefly heard a telephone ring before he shut the door with his foot.

"I suppose you want to know what's happening, right?" he asked next.

"You could say that…" I replied, already bored with his prevaricate attitude.

"I shall start with you, then. You have four broken ribs on your right side. None of these have punctured your lungs or any other vital organs. This must have been where the truck hit you?"

"Yes. I had both arms outstretched and I was in the air when it hit my right side," I replied.

He gave me a questioning look for a couple seconds but I wasn't going to give him any more explanation before I knew more information. He continued.

"Your left arm is also broken at the shoulder and wrist. We assumed that you touched down on that arm from all the bruises that you sustained."

"Yes. That's the arm I landed on. I kind of knew it was broken at the shoulder when I heard the snap but the wrist is news to me."

"Um… yes. There is also a deep cut in your forehead above your right eye and continuing down half of your face. We managed to seal it up quite well and there should be little to no scarring."

He seemed really proud of that part. How stupid… "I do suppose that if I were to have died at least I could have an open casket funeral with your excellent patchwork skills…" I didn't care at this point.

He started tapping his fingers slightly on the counter. I glanced over at them with my left eye then looked back over at him, wearing a slight grin with the left side of my mouth. He took a deep breath.

"Well, you shouldn't have to worry about that now because there shouldn't be a funeral."

"Oh? You're the professional yet all you can give me is a 'shouldn't'? Can't this hospital be more accurate than that?"

"Well, excuse us. I've had a rather long day now and…"

"And I haven't? All I want is answers and you give me 'maybe' and the story of YOUR bad day. What kind of professional answer is that? Are you actually the doctor that operated on me?" I lashed out still smiling.

I heard a low growl emit from his throat. He opened the door and walked rigidly out of the room. I sat my head back down on the pillow and smiled. Maybe they will send in someone more competent next time.

It didn't take long before the door was opening again. This time a female came in. She was rather lanky with long black hair down to her mid-back.

She was smiling at me when she entered. "I'm the doctor's assistant that was present during the surgery. The doctor is currently still in the E.R. and can't make it. Is there something specific that you wanted to know?"

I smiled. Now I was getting somewhere. "I wanted to know my exact chances of survival for one."

She nodded. "Your chances for survival are currently 100 at the moment, barring any completely unforeseen events." I nodded.

"What's my recovery time?"

"You will probably be completely recovered within three months." Three months? Well there goes my summer vacation…

"And the chances of my face scarring?"

"Roughly 3. The doctor did an excellent job of patching that up."

"And the last actual question that I have is kind of complicated."

She sits down on the chair guessing, correctly, that this will be rather long. I continue.

"I was in the air with my arms outstretched. I have assumed that is what has improved my chances so much. The truck hit my right side which is the broken ribs. I then was flung through the air and landed on my left shoulder. It broke instantly and I rolled. It was probably during the role that I broke my wrist too. My head scraped along the ridge of the sidewalk, which is the head cut. Is this mostly accurate so far?"

"Pretty much. We didn't know that you were in the air or had your arms outstretched but the rest we had estimated. What on earth were you doing in the air, though?"

"I will get to that after you answer my next and last question."

"Ok."

"What if my position was different? If I was, say… stepping off the sidewalk into the street, about a foot out maybe and still on the ground?" I asked. I had to know.

She looked rather confused as to the point, but continued anyway. "Well, what saved you from much more serious injuries was because you were in the air. We didn't understand it at first but now that I know where you were it makes sense. If you had been where you just described? Well you probably would have been sucked under the truck since you were still on the ground. This would put considerable friction on most of your body and you would have serious damage. The problem is that if you were only a foot off the curb when the truck hit you then once you got sucked under it you would probably be crushed by the tire. For the most part, if that had happened, you wouldn't be here now."

I was suddenly so happy that I had decided what I had. Kisa surely would have been killed. It brought justification to my decision so I didn't feel I had gotten injured for no reason. I sighed. "I'm so happy I got hit…" I realized about half of a second later that I had spoken out loud.

"Why are you HAPPY you got hit?" she asked in disbelief.

"Remember the position that I described to you earlier?" I replied calmly.

"Yes."

"There was a girl that was standing there. The reason that I was in the air with my arms outstretched was to push her backwards onto the sidewalk…"

I looked over at the nurse in time to see her eyes widening. "Was that the girl that was with you when the ambulance picked you up?"

"Golden-brown hair, same color eyes, and a little bit shorter than me?"

She nodded.

"That would be Kisa. She was the one that was about to follow me across the street when this accident happened," I stated.

"Your sister?" she asked next. I don't think I could have said no much faster.

"My girlfriend…"

The nurse started smiling. "That explains even more… She pestered the ambulance driver to the point that he actually joked about her to us. She wouldn't stop bugging our desk nurse for information about you either. Eventually one of her friends managed to get her to go home and change out of her dress…"

I smiled at this. Kisa WAS probably really worried about me. "Was she injured at all?"

The nurse shook her head. "Not a scratch on her. I was about to comment on how lucky you were to be alive but now I think that she's just as lucky to have you as her boyfriend…" Kisa? LUCKY to have me as a boyfriend? I snorted and quickly wished I hadn't after the pain washed over me.

The nurse raised her eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"That was our first official date we were returning from. Probably her first date EVER! I took her out to a restaurant and everything… Then look how it turned out! I get myself run over by a truck…" It felt better to say it.

"You saved her life. You couldn't do a thing about the truck but you managed to minimize the seriousness of the situation. You did so through willing self-sacrifice as well. She seems more worried about you than the ruined date…" I just stared at her then as she stood up. She had some good points…

"Shortly, you will be moved to a recovery room. We want to keep you there for at least a week in order to make sure you're doing ok. You can have visitors in today but I'm going to restrict the amount of them for now. Two or three at most should be good. I'm assuming that Kisa is going to be one of them?" I nodded slightly. Of course I wanted to see Kisa.

"Is my mother back yet?" I asked on an impulse.

"I heard she is flying in on the next flight. She doesn't know the results of the surgery, though, and will have to find out when she gets here." She replied.

I had to stop myself from laughing and crying at the same time. So stupid… After trying to prove that I could take care of myself I end up in the hospital! She probably would never trust me again. I felt my bed being moved and I rolled through the double doors. We traveled all the way to the end of the hall and into an empty room. They pushed my bed and all of its lovely attached accessories against a wall near the window. A couple minutes later the nurse came back in with a clipboard.

"I will allow up to three visitors for now. I have a small list of who is out in the waiting room for you to pick from. Which ones do you…"

"Kisa…" I said before she even finished the sentence. She smiled. I had just assumed of course that Kisa was in the waiting room. She marked her list. I must have been correct.

"And who else?" she asked and started reading the list off. Who else indeed…

* * *

**Disaster's Wake**

* * *

I was stunned. The entire evening's fun activities had just come crashing down around me. Hiro had leapt backwards in the street and pounced towards me all of a sudden. I had no clue what was going on. I fell backwards onto the sidewalk but managed to catch myself. Hiro wasn't there? All I saw was the back end of a truck when I opened my eyes again. I quickly looked to the right and wish I hadn't. The scream escaped my lips before I could stop it. Hiro's body was crumpled almost twenty feet away from me. There was a lot of blood all over the concrete leading up to the body. I felt myself get dizzy but shook it off and quickly ran towards him. 

I shouted "Hiro!" on the way over hoping he would just stand up shaking his head and start yelling at the truck driver but something inside told me that he wasn't going to stand up. I had reached him in only a couple of seconds and almost felt my heart stop. His head was resting on the curb and there was a giant gash across most of the right side of his face. Blood was leaking out of it and down across his right eye which was closed. His left shoulder was extended upwards a lot farther than should be possible and his hand was bent at a very odd angle. Worse yet was the expression he wore. His mouth was open a little bit and his one open eye was just staring straight up. It didn't even look like he was breathing…

The driver quickly started dialing 911 behind me. I fell to my knees in front of Hiro and looked into his face. I begged him to say something. He actually blinked then and started to smile. He seemed to snap back to reality then and look at me.

"Hey Kisa…" he said weakly.

I felt relief rush through me and I smiled down at him. Then he asked ME if I was hurt! I was crying by this time but I managed to shake my head. I was so happy he was alive. Then I heard his voice again in a nigh whisper.

"I love you Kisa…" he said.

My eyes got bigger and I said, "Hiro…" Then I noticed that he was starting to close his eyes. A sharp intake of breath later I almost shouted, "I love you too, Hiro!" I bent down and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Oh no… What have I done?" came a voice from me. I turned around to notice the truck driver slump against the bloody grill of his truck. He slid down it until he was sitting in the road staring in horror at us. I ignored him and looked down at the cell phone he had dropped. There was a voice coming from it. "Sir? You have to tell us where you are for us to help." I had heard enough. I lunged at the phone and answered quickly.

"You have to get an ambulance here fast!"

"Where are you, miss?" A female voice asked. I glanced quickly around and saw the shop that I was previously looking at. I couldn't manage to think long enough to get the street names so I shouted out the name of the store.

"We can find your location now. Please wait for assistance to come…"

"O… ok…" I managed to say. I tossed the phone over to the driver and rushed back over to Hiro. He was still breathing but it was shallow. It only took three minutes for the ambulance and police to start arriving. I wanted to go with Hiro to the hospital and one of the officers was nice enough to drive me over once I said who I was. It was all a rush. My world had fallen apart so quickly that I was lost in the cataclysm.

None of the nurses knew anything about Hiro's condition however. I was almost panicking by then. They sat me down in a waiting room and asked if I wanted to call anyone. I nodded and they lead me into an office to use a phone there. I called Hiro's house first, recalling that Sis was still there with Hiro's little sister.

"Sohma residence, Tohru Honda speaking…" she answered.

"Sis!" I cried into the phone.

"Kisa? What's wrong?" she asked, sounding worried now.

"It's Hiro. We were walking back when a truck came out of nowhere and hit him! I'm at the hospital right now!" Sis would know what to do!

"What? Have you called Shigure's house yet? He has Hiro's mother's cell phone number. He would be able to get in touch with her."

"You're the first person I have called. I'm scared and worried about Hiro…"

"Don't worry! I will be there in a little bit. I will call Shigure's first and have him come to the hospital."

"Thanks sis! Hurry!" I cried. I hung up the phone then. The nurse was smiling at me.

"Is everything taken care of then?" she asked. I slowly nodded feeling the tears flowing down my cheeks.

"You should go out into the waiting room and sit down then. Would you mind possibly answering a few questions about Hiro for us?"

"Anything to help him…" I replied.

She smiled at me and retrieved a clip board from the wall. I sat down in a chair in the office. "Tell me at any time if this gets too painful to continue and we will stop…"

I nodded.

"First of all, what relation are you to Hiro?"

"I'm his girlfriend, Kisa," I responded in a weak voice. I just stared at the floor at my feet.

"How old is Hiro?"

"Fourteen…"

"What exactly happened to Hiro?"

"We were walking back from the restaurant. It was our first official date. I had stopped to look at a dress in the window of the fashion store when I noticed he had already started to cross the street. I rushed to catch up with him but he leapt backwards and rotated. He pushed me onto the sidewalk and the truck hit him instead of me…" Once I had started all of my feelings just flowed out. I couldn't stop. I wish Haru and Sis were here. The nurse decided that we should stop after I started crying uncontrollably and sent me back out into the waiting room. I sat there for maybe ten minutes.

I couldn't get the picture out of my mind of him just laying there on the cement, bleeding all over the place. I don't know if he even heard my words to him. I just wished with all my heart that he would be strong and make it through this. Sis was the first to arrive. She had run the entire way carrying Hinata. Sis set her down in the chair beside herself and immediately gave me a large hug. I just sat there, dazed, and cried into her shoulder.

After I had recovered myself somewhat, I related the whole story of the evening to her. Sis sat there listening intently until I was done. I had recalled that over the phone I had simply said that Hiro had been hit by a truck. That didn't do him enough justice though. He had only been hit by the truck because he had wanted to get me out of its way.

"Calm down now Kisa. Hiro is a strong boy. He will make it through this." Sis spoke after my story had been finished.

"I know…" I replied simply… I must have fallen asleep then because I was soon being nudged by Sis.

I opened my eyes and looked around. The waiting room was still here so it wasn't just a really bad nightmare. We had been joined by a few others, though. Yuki, Kyo, Momiji, and Haru were waiting on almost every side of me. I was met with warm smiles no matter where I looked.

"Did they announce any new information yet?" I finally asked.

"Not yet. We only have heard that he is still in the E.R. at the moment." Yuki responded.

I sighed and sagged a little in my chair. "How long was I asleep for?"

"Only about an hour and a half" Sis explained. I nodded. The sleep hadn't really helped much and I still felt tired. Sis continued.

"I have an idea. Why don't you go with Haru back to your house and at least change into something a little more comfortable?" Sis recommended. It was a good idea.

All I could do was nod, though. I slowly stood up and followed Haru out. Surprisingly, we didn't get lost on the way over to Hiro's house. Yes, I convinced him to take me to Hiro's house instead because most of my clothes were over there anyway.

After walking upstairs, I entered Hiro's room and headed towards the closet. He had cleared half of the room in his closet for me to use for my clothes. I just shook my head at the thought. Haru followed me up the steps and must have turned the corner then just in time to see me start to cry. He walked over to me.

"You said you wouldn't have a problem with this…" he told me.

"No problem… just a little snag," I replied in a shaky voice.

"Hmm… allowed you to put your clothes in his closet, huh?" I felt myself get a little warm in the face but nodded.

He then wandered into the room further. I suddenly felt very insecure about him being in Hiro's and my bedroom. Haru walked over to the couch. We had taken the sheets off it this morning since I had pretty much decided to just use Hiro's bed. He just stared down at the couch for a few seconds before glancing over at the bed. I looked over at it too and saw in horror that we had never made it. There were still two indents on the pillow that resembled our heads. Haru only stared down at them for a couple of seconds before turning around and glancing at me with a raised eyebrow. I think that I turned a couple of shades redder then. He just smiled at me.

"So you did spend the night here with him, then. I thought you would," He said at last.

"I'm sorry, but it just turned out easier than walking back and forth all the time…" I tried to explain.

"Don't worry Kisa; I'm not mad at you. I just didn't expect you to stay purposely in the same bed…" he responded. I turned a little bit redder then, if possible. He then smiled at me. "Did you have fun at least?"

My eyes went wide. "Haru! We didn't do…"

"Relax… I was just asking about your usual DVD watching. I don't know what you were thinking of…" he replied with a smile. I rolled my eyes and walked back over to the closet. After I had found the clothes that I wanted I wandered into the hallway bathroom to change. My dress had gotten a little dirty but that was the least of my concerns. At least Haru had gotten me to laugh a little bit.

When I had finished changing, Haru walked me back to the hospital. Sis was still taking care of Hiro's sister when I got back. Everyone smiled up at me when I entered.

"Any news yet?" I asked. It was almost 4:30am. I was certainly setting a record for staying up tonight. I had a brief thought that if things had gone differently, I could be in bed, dreaming with Hiro at the moment. Or dead, my brain added for me… Determined to push the thoughts out of my head before I started crying again, I closed my eyes. I almost didn't recognize the answer.

"Yes," Sis said.

My eyes shot open instantly and I rushed over to where she was. "What?"

"They just wrapped up the surgery… He is going to pull through alright!" Sis said happily.

I collapsed to my knees. I heard myself laughing but I was also crying. They were happy tears though… I sat back down in-between Sis and Haru. Sis filled me in on what was happening. We had gotten a hold of Hiro's mother and she would be flying in on the next possible flight. Until then they had been asked who was closest to Hiro at the moment and everyone had nominated me while I was gone. I checked several times with the desk nurse but she kept telling me to sit back down. The doctor opened the door to the waiting room then.

"Is a Kisa Sohma here?" he called out.

I stood up and walked towards him. He nodded at me and took me into a side room. Shigure and Hatori were already there. They nodded at me when I sat down. The doctor closed the door before turning to face us.

"As these two already know, Hiro has four broken ribs on his right side and his left arm is broken at the shoulder and wrist. He has a cut starting at his forehead and going down the side of his cheek. I have been told that it was patched up rather nicely. His lungs are perfectly fine and we set his arm and ribs. He should make a full recovery." The doctor explained. I was overjoyed.

"How long is the recovery time going to take?" Shigure asked.

"Probably close to three months." The doctor answered. Three months? That's his entire summer vacation. I had a feeling he was going to be a little upset with me.

"He should be waking up shortly." The doctor continued. "It will be up to him who he sees first though… and who he doesn't see at all. We have to keep him calm."

"Looks like Momiji will have to wait a few days to see him…" Shigure joked. I nodded. "He will definitely want to see you, though, Kisa. You might stop him from hurting the doctors at least." I laughed then.

A knock came to the door. "Come in…" the doctor said.

A nurse poked her head in. She was skinny and had black hair.

"Sir… The Sohma kid is awake. We sent someone into his room to talk with him but he came out almost in tears, wanting to strangle him, sir…" She reported.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing. He was definitely ok… Shigure started smiling.

"Well I have to get back to the E.R. so you can go in and talk to him next. He seems like a right to the point type of person so…"

She nodded and left the room. The doctor shortly excused himself and we went back to the waiting room. I filled everyone in on the Hiro's status and waited again. It was much easier this time now that I knew Hiro was going to be ok. This was a much shorter wait anyway. It was only a couple of minutes before the nurse I saw before came back out into the waiting room with a clipboard. She looked down at it.

"We have only allowed three people to see him until he recovers a little bit. He has reviewed this checklist and chosen from it… Here are the names." She spoke after walking over to us.

I wondered if he even wanted to see me. "Kisa Sohma." Never mind that thought process… I smiled.

"Hatori Sohma." Hiro was rather smart. He wants his care turned over to Hatori as soon as possible.

"And Tohru Honda…" What? We all glanced over at Sis. Hiro wasn't exactly the nicest to Sis and the other Sohmas knew that. Why did he want to see her?

"Will you three please come with me?" the nurse said turning around. I got up quickly and followed Hatori.

"What about her?" Tohru asked, pointing to the girl she was carrying.

"Who is she?" The nurse asked, turning around.

"She's his sister…" Tohru answered.

"Well I suppose it wouldn't hurt much."

Tohru nodded and carried her inside as well. I was a little nervous seeing as how the last I had seen Hiro he was all cut up and bleeding…

* * *

**Recovery**

* * *

Almost immediately after the nurse left I rang the office and requested a head doctor. He arrived a couple of minutes later and by the time the door opened again I had him convinced that turning my care over to Hatori as soon as possible would be best. I managed to keep him talking to me until Hatori himself arrived among my guest list. Hatori took my cue and started talking to the head doctor about getting me moved into his clinic. 

I glanced back over at my other two guests. Three? Tohru had brought my sister? Oh well… I gazed right at Kisa. She was standing near the lower left corner of my bed just shaking. I smiled at her. She approached carefully, as if afraid if she stepped wrong I would just drop dead. I must have looked absolutely terrible with that bandage covering half of my face, my left arm in a sling, and a huge bandage wrapped around my chest. They couldn't get a shirt on me because it interfered with the bandages so all I was wearing was the boxers I had on earlier. Luckily I had the sheets pulled up to my waist to save myself further embarrassment. I had propped myself up on my pillows after I discovered that it only hurt a little to move my right arm, it wasn't actually impossible to move. Kisa finally reached me and slowly reached her right hand out. She traced a gentle line down my left arm's bandage and then ran the finger across the chest bandage. She moved the finger off me and then placed her entire left hand on the right side of my face. I winced a little bit and she frowned. Removing her hand she bent forward and placed a small kiss on my left cheek. I smiled at her. I couldn't take it anymore.

"What did you say?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

"Before I lost consciousness you started to say something. I'm pretty sure I know what it was but I want to be positive," I explained. She smiled.

"I love you…" she said.

"I thought so."

"Why did you do that? You were clear of the truck's path…" she asked all of a sudden.

"You were just entering the path of the truck. I decided I didn't like that and removed you from the path…"

"But you put yourself back into the path…"

"Much better than you in my opinion. Besides, the position that I was in maximized my chances of survival. Yours had minimized them. I couldn't accept that."

"Hiro…"

"Kisa, your life is far more important to me than my own. You should know that by now…" I replied calmly.

She started to cry again. I smiled at her, and then looked over at Tohru who was just watching intently. She took my cue and stepped forward and tried to comfort Kisa. I knew that I wouldn't be able to help her much so I hoped that Tohru could provide some emotional support for her.

Then I noticed Tohru was still holding my sister with her left arm. I reached out slowly with my right arm and put a hand on my sister's shoulder. She reached out and placed both hands on mine. If I didn't know better I would almost say she looked worried. She was way too young to understand what was going on, though, wasn't she? Tohru and Kisa both were looking at us by now smiling. I twinge of pain went through my right side and I had to pull my arm away. I silently cursed myself for not being stronger than this. It was pathetic. I laid my head back on my pillows and closed my eyes. I heard footsteps go around to the other side of the bed and the cushion of the chair in that location move. Then arms slid around my right and grabbed my hand. I opened my eyes to see Kisa resting her head on the side of my bed. Hatori took that moment to come over.

"That was surprisingly easy. How long had you been working on him before I got here?" he asked.

"Only about five minutes…" I responded.

"Well I applaud you. You shall be re-located to my office later… well… today." He added. I nodded. Kisa looked up at Hatori with a smile. He responded to the question she was about to ask.

"No, you don't have to abide by normal visiting hours. I realize that my new patient is special to you…" She nodded happily.

She spent the rest of the time I was in that particular hospital at my side. She left me briefly because the hospital used an ambulance to deliver me to Hatori. Only a couple of minutes after I was situated in my new bed, she came back in and rested on the couch. I could tell she was really sleepy so I didn't say anything. Soon, as I suspected, she was asleep on the couch. I took that moment to fall asleep as well…

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**Chapter 5 – End!**

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Author's Notes: 

Thought I'd play around with a bit of foreshadowing at the beginning. It amused me. I know this chapter took me a long time to post but I've been REALLY busy with the holiday rush so please don't hurt me! This chapter was a little more violent then the other's before it but not too bad in my opinion.

**Individual Review Responses:**

**Princess Lady Subaru:** Thanks for the review and favorites! I'm glad you like the story and I will definitely continue. I'm pretty sure my lack of reviews is due to the fact that my rating is scaring people away... but ah well. . . . -munches cookie-


	6. Spiral of Indifference

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Disclaimer

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I only own the fanfiction, not the characters... yet.

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**Chapter 6 – Spiral of Indifference**

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I was bored. Somewhat depressed, but still bored. The first week I couldn't even stand up. Kisa sat by my side the entire time. She wouldn't let me do anything. Then it got to the point where I could walk again. I still couldn't lift much, but at least I could relocate myself. She was over at my house for at least five hours a day. She would help my mother take care of things. After about two weeks of this, though, it dropped down to only about three hours a day… Then about one… After that she stopped coming every day and instead maybe skipped a few days. Then it went to once a week. As of now it's been two weeks since I have seen her. 

I don't really blame her of course. When it comes to excitement I probably was rather lacking. I still couldn't move around very well, nor did I have use of my left arm yet. I suppose the others could be keeping her rather busy, but the least she could do is call. Every time I tried her house it was always "She's out with her friends. Sorry, Hiro…" The only friend I knew about that could keep her this busy was Tohru. Was she too stupid to realize that if she spends more time with Kisa, Kisa spends less time with me? I sighed. I loved being able to sigh again without any pain whatsoever.

I was lying on my bed at the moment. Thinking these thoughts was a little depressing. The worst part of it was I had no outside information whatsoever. I was mainly cooped up in the upstairs of my house. Being that there was no phone up here and I couldn't go downstairs without Mother yelling at me… I should really get a phone installed in my bedroom like Kisa has. This thought led on to others about Kisa, and soon I had depressed myself further. I closed my eyes and a little bit of moisture leaked out. Was I crying? Why? Just because Kisa is getting further and further away from me? Please, she just needs room to expand. My thoughts were rudely interrupted by a nova-flare of light going off in my bedroom. I soon realized that this was a camera and felt like hanging Momiji from the balcony.

"Don't you ever knock, Momiji?" I asked snidely.

"It's much more fun to catch you by surprise," he replied. "You would have wiped away those beautiful tears if I had knocked first." He HAD seen me crying.

"What do you want, Momiji?" I asked impatiently.

"I just came to deliver a bit of news and ask a simple question…"

"I will take the news, but I don't know if I will answer the question."

"Both are about Kisa…"

He had averted his eyes away from me. How did I know? That's how quickly my head snapped in his direction.

"Waiting…"

"I will tell you the news if you answer my question."

"Whatever, Momiji, just ask…"

"What did you say to Kisa?"

I was really irritated now. "I say lots of things to Kisa…"

He smiled then. "Not anymore it would seem."

I growled.

"It would have been something about her being teased…" Momiji said at last. I had said something about that during our first and ONLY date…

"Yes, I tried to help her with her teasing."

"Well, it most certainly worked miracles… She is talking to a bunch of girls from her old middle school lately. They're going to the same high school next year, it would seem. She has become quite buddy with most of them," he explained.

I was in shock. Had she really become that confident about herself just from what I said? This was really great for her but were these friends the ones she is constantly out with? I was happy for her but I couldn't put down the feeling of being… replaced.

Momiji nodded then as if realizing my deepest thoughts, and then casually wandered out of my room. I was so angry that he had gotten to me… and knew that he had! I lay there sulking for a couple more minutes before fading into darkness…

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**Rejuvenated**

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Kisa had simply stopped coming. I hadn't really tried to get a hold of her anymore once I knew what she was doing. She had obviously preferred her new friends to boring old Hiro. I sat there on the edge of my bed flexing my left arm. I had finally regained most of the strength back in the arm, and none too soon. There was only a week left of summer before I would have to go back to school. I wasn't looking forward to it because I wouldn't be able to walk with Kisa for a year. Would she really want to walk with me anyway? I punched the top of my bed. 

I was pretty sure that I had recovered my full strength again. I stood up and walked downstairs. "I'm going for a walk, Mom!" I shouted as I walked into the entry hall.

"Be back before supper!" she returned in a shout. When she had flown back in and discovered that I had been 'relocated' to Hatori's, she felt much better. I was going to make a full recovery, she found out. She trusted me more than I thought after finding out the events that led up to me being smeared by the truck. I guess saving Kisa's life in the process had redeemed me in her eyes a little bit. Too bad it didn't seem to have the same effect on Kisa herself.

I made the futile effort to see if Kisa was at her house and was met with the usual "She's out with her friends at the moment…" Whatever. I'm sure I could find something to do in town without hanging out with Kisa. Stopping then, I began to ponder. How long ago was I forced to find something to do OTHER than hang out with Kisa? Second grade? Third? I couldn't remember… It was too depressing to put much thought into.

I wandered downtown. It was a nice and sunny day. There was just something wonderful about feeling the breeze on your face after being cooped up in a house for over two and a half months. I glanced at all of the shops downtown. After maybe five minutes, I found myself in a familiar place… The dress was still in the window. It would seem that not many had tastes equal to Kisa's, for the dress' price was already reduced by seventy-five percent. It was now well within my budget, so I decided to get it anyway. I would probably keep it as a surprise… Maybe a back-to-school gift? Why not? It was nicely packaged and wrapped. I hate trying to wrap things. To be blunt, I'm horrible at it.

I decided to carry the bag further downtown with me, and I came to the entrance of a small water park. It was completely free, but it didn't have much to offer. It consisted of three large pools, a couple of spiral tube slides, and a few diving boards here and there. Its price made it attractive, though, and it was a popular hangout for school kids. Usually I would avoid it due to the excessive amount of noise it generated from the screams, but today I was bored.

As I approached I noticed a small group of high school boys. They seemed to be congregating near one of the many lounge areas and taking up an entire bench. The comics they passed back and forth weren't really being looked at that much, and the real reason they were here was readily apparent. I shifted my view to the right and noticed they were watching the numerous females walking around in various degrees of swimwear.

I had to stop myself from laughing just then and decided on just an eye-roll instead. The only female that I had ever had eyes for was Kisa. I shook my head then and started to smile. I had just caught myself starting to picture Kisa in a swimsuit… It was a one-piece, of course, and bright yellow. The backdrop was that of a sunny beach. She was lying in a lounge chair sunning herself as I passed her a soda from the chair beside her. I sighed, though this was a sigh of content. I shook the silly vision out of my head. There was no way that Kisa would ever be caught dead in a… BIKINI!

A girl that looked remarkably like Kisa had just exited the end of one of the tube slides and went into the water. I couldn't be sure, though, until she resurfaced. She popped her head out of the water, spraying it in all directions from her golden-brown locks of hair. She swam towards the ladder, laughing the entire time, and began to climb out. About the only thing I HAD been right about was the color…

She was wearing a bright yellow Spaghetti-strap bikini. My brain had completely frozen… I had never pictured her in ANYTHING like that before. A whole assortment of new thoughts and feelings flooded into my brain at the same time, fighting for control. I quickly glanced over to my left and saw the group of high school boys doing the same thing I was! I suddenly wanted to rush over and tell them off. If only I didn't feel so dizzy. Blood? I had felt warmth hit my lips and I quickly brushed it away. A nosebleed? I glanced towards the ground all of a sudden and noticed that I had dropped my bag I was carrying. Luckily, she hadn't seen me and I retrieved my bag and scooted into the bathroom.

After setting the bag down I started to clean up my nose at the sink. I had been lucky that she hadn't seen me. I stood there, staring at myself in the mirror. Why was I always so jealous? I filled my hands with water and splashed my face a little bit. I was starting to grow a little red. Since when had Kisa… changed so much? I sighed and dried my face off. Picking up my bag again I promptly exited the bathroom again.

Upon walking outside, I started to make my way towards the entrance of the park again. I wanted to just flee and recover whatever was left of my image of Kisa. I sighed. As I approached the main gate, I saw her again. She was standing at the base of the bigger waterslide surrounded by a group of her friends. They were all happily chatting amongst themselves so I saw no reason to interfere. I kept watching her, though, as I moved towards the exit. Just as I was starting to go through the gates and had just started to turn away, her eyes caught mine. Oops… There was no way she WOULDN'T recognize me at this point. Her eyes went wide as she stared across the forty or so feet that separated us… I smiled at her then, looked back down at the cement sidewalk, then continued turning and headed out of the park.

"Hiro?" I heard her shout. I guess this wasn't going to be that easy. I figured that if she didn't want to introduce me then I would give her the choice to ignore me. Oh well… her choice. I stopped walking and turned around.

"Hiro!" I heard her shout again. This time she was definitely sure it was me. I stepped back into the park. She came running towards me with four of her friends following behind her.

I looked downwards once more just in time to see it. A large puddle of water had been splashed up next to the pool. Apparently she didn't see it though and I watched as her feet went out from under her. Time seemed to be my ally today and things started to move in slow motion. I felt myself drop the bag and lunge forward in one fluid motion. Luckily I was close enough to where she slipped to snatch her out of the air before she hit ground. I heard her friends let out a gasp but it was too late by then. If it was up to them to have helped her, she would be heading to the hospital with a skull fracture right now… I guess I had some uses left…

I helped her gently to her feet and she smiled at me. "Thanks, Hiro…"

"Anytime," I replied. I hope she already knew that though.

The rest of her friends caught up with her then as I walked back to retrieve my bag.

"Excellent reflexes!" one of them replied when I stood back up.

"You have to have excellent reflexes when you know Kisa…" I answered in a joking manner. I recovered my bag and stood back up. Trying as hard as I could, I tried to look back up at Kisa. It didn't work… I found myself traveling the full length of her before finally meeting a very pink face. I tried to recover a little bit of my dignity, though.

"Are you ok?" I asked, hoping she would then take the analysis as scanning for injuries. If it didn't work, she still pretended that it did, anyway.

"Um… yeah. Thanks again for saving me… again," she replied. By this time, she was looking down at the concrete. Some of her friends behind her widened their eyes a little bit.

"This is THE Hiro you have been telling us about, Kisa?" one of them asked. I was quite shocked. Kisa talked about me to her friends? I blinked in slight confusion.

"Well… um…" Kisa tried to respond. What was wrong? I had a bad feeling.

"Wow! Kisa is so lucky that you're her best friend!" another said. Best friend? Ouch… I suddenly realized that, for some reason, she never told her friends that I was her boyfriend.

"You really pushed her out of the way of a moving truck and only got a couple of bruises?" chimed a second. More than a slight exaggeration, but I felt a little better if Kisa was bragging about me… I think.

"How is your soccer team doing?" asked the first one again. "And what about your chess team?" a third.

Finally the fourth asked, "Is it really true that you're a child prodigy and get straight A's in school?"

This was amusing… Did Kisa really brag about me this much? Then, my realization kicked in. This was beyond bragging… Did she really feel that she had to make me sound like an all-star, super genius? I looked over at Kisa. She had a pleading look in her eyes that melted my heart. I sighed and thought about the cascade of questions again.

"I think that would be a… Yes, fairly good, excellent, and Yes…" I answered. All of the girls started talking excitedly at the same time. Kisa was smiling at me with sad eyes. "She probably forgot to mention my black belts in several forms of martial arts as well…" This was a duel-purpose statement. It served to make Kisa realize how far of an exaggeration that she made and I also knew that the high school boys were still listening.

"Oops. Sorry." Kisa spoke. She seemed sad. Her friends probably took it as genuine apology, though. We all stood in silence for a few more seconds before Kisa seemed to notice the bag I was holding in my left arm.

"What's in the bag?" she then asked.

"Just a gift to my favorite girl…" I replied. Might as well give it to her today…

"Oh wow! Maybe it's love…" I heard behind Kisa from several female voices at once. I managed to keep my smile even though I felt like crying. I think Kisa could see it in my eyes too. She winced.

"Don't worry… I don't expect you to open it here. It would get completely soaked. I was just off to drop it by your house…" I commented, trying desperately to control the shakiness of my voice. I suddenly wanted to escape as quickly as possible.

"Um… thanks. Do you want me to go with you?" she asked. She tried to sound happy, but failed miserably, and the only thing that came through was eagerness. Why did she want to talk with me? Her friends didn't seem to notice.

"Nah. You look like you're having fun here with your friends so I won't keep you any longer," I said.

"Oh… um ok…" Kisa replied. I noted the twinge of disappointment in her voice. Maybe I wasn't completely replaced yet? I did a proper bow and retreated a few steps before rotating on my right foot and walking towards the exit.

I walked without really looking. I didn't need eyes to make it to Kisa's house from anywhere in the city. It was engrained into my brain. Did she really feel the need to make me so much more than what I already was? Couldn't she be proud of me as I am now? It would seem not. There was no way that I could possibly live up to the expectations that she had set on me. I saw only disappointment in the future. I didn't own a soccer OR chess team. I was good at martial arts but not THAT good. I considered myself smarter than most people, but school didn't seem to agree with me that much. I sighed.

It only took me a couple of minutes to reach Kisa's house. I knocked on the door. "Come in!" could be heard from inside. Taking my shoes off in the entryway, I made sure my socks weren't wet before I walked onto the hardwood. Kisa's mother came around the corner wearing a questioning look as I came through the inner door.

"Hiro? You usually don't bother knocking. You know you're always welcome here!" she said, the confused look melting into a smile.

"Hello, Aunty. I hadn't been here in a while, so I figured I had better play it safe," I replied. I had picked up Kisa's nickname for my mother and started using it for hers quite some time ago.

"Well don't bother from now on. You saved my precious Kisa so many times that I could never turn you away." I can't say I wasn't enjoying the praise.

"Well, tell her to be more careful when running near a pool from now on," I commented jokingly as I walked past her to set my bag down on the table.

I could picture her raised eyebrow and half smile from where I stood with my back to her. "And what do you mean by that?" she finally asked after I had set the bag down.

"Just that I had seen her at the water park, and she almost cracked her head open running. Luckily, one of her friends was following behind her and caught her before she hit the ground," I lied.

"What's in the bag?" she finally asked after shaking her head and mumbling something about being clumsy…

"A back-to-school present for Kisa…" I explained. "Although it doesn't really have much of anything to do with school."

"How thoughtful!" she exclaimed. I just shrugged. "Now stop being so modest! Did Kisa say when she would be home?" she asked next. I simply shook my head.

"Ok. Are you going to stay here and wait for her? I could cook you something while you wait…" she offered.

"No thank you. I told my mother that I would be home for dinner. Thanks anyway though." I bowed and headed for the door. I thought I heard "So polite" as I went.

"Well, don't be a stranger, Hiro! I rarely have seen you since the accident," she called out.

"Don't worry about me. I will see you later!" I called back. The breeze felt good as I exited the house.

I started the walk back to my house. This, too, I could do with my eyes closed. Kisa's mother was just as proud of me as the last time I talked to her. I just wished that Kisa could be, too. I sighed again. Five minutes later, I walked through the front door of my house just as Mother was setting food down on the table.

"I thought you weren't going to make it..." she said as she noticed my presence. "Hurry upstairs and wash your hands." I quickly obeyed.

The supper was delicious as usual, and I quickly finished. I decided that I would give Kisa a call afterwards to see how she liked her present. Of course, I knew it would look great on her because everything looked great on her. Yes, even the bikini looked great on her.

"Sohma Residence… May I help you?" Kisa's mother answered.

"Hello again, Aunty," I replied.

"Oh! Hello, Hiro! Looking for Kisa?" she asked. She knew me well.

"Of course!" I answered.

"She just got back from the park with a bunch of her friends. I did have something to ask you about though…" She had brought her friends home with her?

"What is it?"

"You said that one of her friends helped her but I heard a different story from her… She seemed quite confused when she heard what you had said, then called you modest. You helped her again, didn't you?" I hadn't expected her to actually scold Kisa over it.

"You caught me," I replied. "Yes, I did help her… I just don't like to brag, really."

"You should be more proud of your accomplishments, Hiro!" she scolded. Why bother when the most important person in the world to you isn't proud of them?

"Do you want me to have her pick up in her room?" she asked next.

"No, don't bother. I don't want to interrupt. I was just calling to see how she liked her present."

"She loved it. In fact she's upstairs right now trying it on. The other girls were really interested in seeing how she looked in it." Lovely, I had secretly hoped that I would be the first person to see her in the dress. There goes that little desire…

"Oh… Ok… I'm glad she likes it, then," I replied, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

"What's wrong, Hiro?" she asked. It would seem that it didn't work.

"Oh, I had just hoped that I could have been the first person to see her in it. Don't mind me though; it's just a silly wish…" I replied. I don't really know why I told her.

"I'm sorry, Hiro. I could try to stop her, if you wanted…" she offered.

"No. It's probably too late by now anyway," I said. "Thanks for the information, Aunty. I will talk to you later." I hung up the phone before waiting for an answer.

I walked towards the door again. "I'm going out for a little bit, Mother. I will be back later," I called out. I heard the call of "Ok, Dear! Stay safe and don't over-strain yourself!" as I headed out the door. The sun was starting to set as I headed towards the Dojo. Practicing this early after my recovery was probably a stupid idea, but I had to get better in order for Kisa to be proud of me…

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**The Yellow Tiger Lilly**

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I felt bad after Hiro left. I really didn't mean to brag about him so much, but one thing led to another… I sighed. It was quite interesting how he had looked at me though. My new friends seemed to sense my sadness and recommended that we stop for the day shortly after Hiro had left. My heart really wasn't into enjoying myself anymore. We got changed back into our regular clothes and walked back to my place. Mother welcomed us in. She then started scolding me about never running near a pool! 

"Where did you hear that I was running near a pool, Mother?" I asked guiltily.

"Hiro had said he saw you running near a pool. He said that if your friends hadn't been there to catch you that you would have cracked your skull open!" she replied.

"Hiro is too modest. He was the one that caught me, Mother…" I said, looking down at the ground. She sighed.

"I had thought so, but I didn't press the matter," she replied. "I will cook dinner for you all. Hiro left a present for you here a little while ago."

I walked towards the table and dug through the bag. Inside was an elegantly wrapped box. I withdrew it and started to take the lovely paper off it. My friends gathered around me in a circle as I lifted the top of the box off. Inside was that beautiful yellow dress that I had been eyeing up on the night of the accident. Smiling, I wondered how Hiro managed to remember through all of the horrible stuff that had happened to him. I held the dress up in front of me and my friends and Mother looked it over. I received completely positive reactions as I rushed upstairs to try it on.

Just as I was stepping out of the bathroom wearing the absolutely beautiful dress, I heard the phone ring. I made my way towards my bedroom phone but by the time I had entered the room my mother had picked it up downstairs. All of my friends were in my room, though, and they started to applaud the dress, so I quickly forgot about the phone and started rotating around to show them all sides of it.

In a couple of minutes my mother came up and started to applaud the dress too.

"Who was on the phone, Mother?" I asked out of mild curiosity.

"It was Hiro actually. He wanted to know if you liked your dress," she replied. If I had been wearing high heels too, I might have fallen over.

"Why didn't he want to talk with me?" I asked quickly.

"Well, when I told him you had brought your friends home too, he said he didn't want to interrupt," she explained.

I shook my head. "What did you tell him about the dress?"

"I told him that you were upstairs trying it on as we speak."

"What did he say?" I asked eagerly.

"Well he sounded kind of disappointed, actually…" she replied.

"Why?" I inquired, slightly concerned.

"I didn't really hear him very well because he was quiet but he said something about wanting to be the first to see you in it or… something like that." she answered.

It felt like my heart had just landed in my stomach. I probably had paled a little bit. Oops… Why hadn't I thought of that? Because I was too interested in showing it to my new friends, my brain answered in the same thought. I looked down at the floor. Why can't I seem to think things through better before acting?

My mother gave me a half-hearted smile before closing the door. I felt terrible. I turned back towards my friends. They were looking at me with concern on their faces.

"I think I should probably tell you a few things. First of all, Hiro doesn't actually own a soccer team. Nor does he own a chess team, although he does like to play. He still does really well in school, but I'm not sure about the all A's. He did save me from a speeding truck but he had suffered far more serious injuries. He almost died, actually. He is also an experienced martial artist, but he is still working on his first black belt. He is almost there, but not quite yet… Also he's kind of… my boyfriend, not just my best friend…" I finished.

"Why did he say all those things were true then?" "He almost died for you?" "He's your boyfriend?" "Why didn't you even hug him when you saw him?" The questions came pouring in.

"He probably went along with my exaggerations to humor me. Yes, he almost died to save my life. We were out on our first date when the accident happened, actually. I probably SHOULD have given him a kiss when I saw him. I have kind of ignored him for the last three weeks…"

A whole series of gasps hit me. Then they all started talking at once again.

"How could you be so mean to your boyfriend who saves your life and gets you this beautiful dress, too?" "I kind of thought it wasn't true, but he is still a cool person…" "You should call him immediately!" "He's cute. I wish he was MY boyfriend…"

I glared at the originator of the cute comment for a couple of seconds before continuing, "Thanks for still liking him and I do feel really bad about not even hugging him after two weeks. I probably should call."

I walked over to the phone and dialed Hiro's number. Aunty answered.

"Hello, Aunty. Can I talk to Hiro for a moment?"

"He just left a couple of minutes ago. Can I take a message, Kisa?"

"Where did he go?" I asked, concerned.

"He didn't say…" she replied. I sighed.

"Well tell him to call me back when he gets in…"

"Ok. Not a problem, Kisa! Anything else?"

"No, thanks, Aunty…"

"No problem, talk to you later, Kisa!"

"Bye…" I hung up the phone.

I hope he is ok. I didn't know what else to do at the moment, so I just waited for his phone call back…

Night

Every muscle in my body throbbed but I felt like I was back up to the level in which I was before the accident. I could actually start improving myself tomorrow. Maybe if I focused on nothing BUT training I could be ready to try the belt test by the time school started again. If you survive for that long, my brain replied. I walked with a slight limp when I left the dojo and it progressively got worse.

I refused to accept defeat though. Sure, Kisa's house technically was closer but I didn't want to bother her when she had friends over. Stupid, weak body! This was pathetic! I felt my right leg give away and I fell over sideways. I managed to crawl over to a tree and caught my breath against the trunk of it. I was really out of shape. Of course Kisa wasn't very proud of me. I wasn't very proud of me either. Time to just rest here for a little bit…

Kisa's house

"What do you mean that Hiro isn't back yet? He left a little after dinner and it's almost midnight!" I cried. I was very close to panic. Hiro had been gone for way too long.

"I don't know where he is, Kisa. I thought he would be back before now…" Aunty replied.

I was more nervous than ever and about to go out looking for him! "Well, call me as SOON as he gets back, ok?" I asked.

"I will, don't worry, Kisa…" She hung up then. I sighed and slowly hung up the phone. My friends had left about an hour ago. They would be ok together but Hiro wouldn't be when he was by himself in his current condition. I slid back down into the chair in the family room. A worried Mother was trying to smile at me from another chair…

A large tree…

I opened my eyes. Why was it so dark? Then it dawned on me. I checked my watch and it said two-thirty in the morning. Oops… I had a feeling Mother was going to be VERY upset with me. I tried to stand up. My legs throbbed. This was the most I had used them in almost three months. I was still about a mile away from my house, too… I thought about it for a little bit. Do I dare bug Kisa tonight or should I try to make it the mile home? I sighed. Kisa and her mother probably weren't even awake but I could try their house, I guess… I slowly made my way towards Kisa's house. It was on my way anyway… Why not?

Slowly, I managed to make it to Kisa's door and sat down in their walkway. I felt a little shaky and dizzy but at least I was still conscious. Why were their lights still on? I could see through the glass entry doors. The secondary doors were still open and there was a light coming from their kitchen. After watching for a little bit I saw Kisa! She was wearing a light pink pair of rather small shorts and a pink tank top. She walked to the kitchen table and turned her head to the right. She was seemingly having a conversation with someone I couldn't see.

I tried standing up but only managed a crouched position before I had to rest again. This was so pathetic! Could I even let Kisa see me like this? I debated just turning around and leaving… I definitely shouldn't press myself so hard. Maybe Kisa could wait a little bit before I live up to her expectations if it means I won't be dropping by at two thirty in the morning… I shook my head. Oops…

Kisa must have seen movement in her peripheral vision. She spun around and looked right through the entryway and through the glass doors at me. There was no way I could have gathered enough energy to dodge out of the way of her view. I heard her shout of "Hiro!" before she started running towards me. I managed to stand up, at least, before she got through the outer doors.

She didn't stop… I felt her arms constrict around me and she started crying against the side of my face. The pain shot up my sides. I managed a sigh before I fell to my knees again. Kisa went with me but she refused to let go.

"Pain…" I finally managed to say. She let go almost instantly and fell backwards. Her mother reached us by this point and bent down to inspect me.

"You don't seem that injured… What on earth happened?" She asked after a few seconds of inspection. I sighed and stood up, wobbly. "No, on second thought, come inside first and sit down. You're probably hungry by now…"

"I couldn't possibly ask you for anything to eat tonight, Aunty. Not after my own stupidity got me here," I said. "Although, I was going to ask if I can use your sofa for the night…" I felt embarrassed about this entire ordeal.

"No! You can use my bed… I will use the sofa in my room…" Kisa cried.

I walked inside with them and sat down at the kitchen table. Kisa sat down next to me and her mother sat across from us.

"What on earth happened to you?" she asked.

"Well, I had decided that I was out of shape and went to the dojo to practice after supper. I didn't think that it would have this big of an impact on me, though…" I replied. A partial truth was easier to hide than an all out lie…

"Why on earth did you decide to go to the dojo so soon?" Kisa asked. "You should have waited at least until school began…" Why did she have to ask that? The only way I could ever lie to Kisa would be to protect her feelings. I sighed and looked away slightly. She tilted her head then and looked at me questioningly.

"Well, when you told your friends all of those great things about me I realized that there was no way I could live up to them, so I decided to start training as hard as I could before school began and maybe I could move up a belt level… I thought you might be proud of me then and wouldn't have to exaggerate about me…" It felt better to get it off my chest. "I'm sorry for being so stupid…" I continued.

Kisa put her head down on my shoulder. It only ached dully. "I told them the truth tonight. They still think you're awesome… And I was always proud of you."

I started laughing then. "Well, I guess I did this for nothing, then…" I smiled at her.

"You get to spend the night…" she answered.

"I really needed an excuse?" I asked. Kisa laughed and shook her head.

"Kisa, you had better call Hiro's mother back and inform her of where he is," Kisa's mother said all of a sudden. "Tell her that I will feed him and he will be staying the night." Kisa nodded and walked over to the phone. Aunty started to make me a simple sandwich. I sighed. I hated being a bother to Kisa, but for some reason I usually am…

After eating the sandwich, I was helped up the stairs and into bed by Kisa. She was helping me situate the covers, and her mother was making the couch up. Kisa went and got changed and her mother stared down at me shaking her head.

"Are you going to be able to sleep in that?" she asked.

I glanced down at myself. I was still wearing a pair of shorts and T-shirt from training. I sighed.

"I will definitely try…" I said at last… I thought about it for a moment, then slipped the shirt off. Kisa's mother nodded to me as I slipped under the covers. Kisa wandered back in then wearing a yellow nightgown similar to the one she had before. This one only went to her knees though instead of her ankles. She lay down on the couch. "Thanks for letting me use your bed, Kisa…" I told her.

"Don't mention it, Hiro…" she replied. "Goodnight, I love you."

I had missed those words… "I love you, too, goodnight…" I curled up in the blankets and rolled away from the light. Her mother just smiled at us before turning out the lights and closing the door. It was almost five minutes before I heard rustling from the couch followed by a brief moment of nothing. Then the mattress moved down slightly beside me. I smiled then. Kisa could be very sneaky sometimes. Her lips brushed briefly against mine as she set her hands, really gently tonight, onto my chest. She seemed to completely ignore my lack of a shirt. I wrapped my arms around her again and slipped away into our dreams…

* * *

**School Arrives**

* * *

It was so boring. It had been several days since my little late night visit to Kisa's house. I hadn't seen her since that morning. It was the first day back to school and the first time since second grade that I had walked by myself. The sun was blazing down upon the road and I felt miserable… 

Mother hadn't been particularly upset with me once she found out where I was. The most I got was a scolding, really. Kisa was sad that she had tried the dress on and didn't show me first. I told her not to worry about it, though. She had wanted to completely change into it just for me but I said that I could wait to see it until our next date.

I had been so busy in thought that I hadn't realized that I had reached the school already. Walking up the walkway to the main entry, two boys rushed up to me. I recognized them as Yoko Shuji and Ichijo Tsutomu. Ichijo was in the same grade as me and Yoko was a year below me.

"Hey, Hiro!" Ichijo shouted.

"How was your summer, Hiro…" Yoko asked. Heh…

"Just lovely…" I replied with an eye-roll.

"Uh oh… There must be a reason that we didn't see you all summer, then," Ichijo stated.

"Does it have anything to do with your new girlfriend…?" Yoko taunted. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Where did you hear that I have a girlfriend?" I asked.

"Unconfirmed rumor has it that you were hugging a girl at the water park a few days ago…" Ichijo continued. "I also heard that she was cute…"

"Really? Well I had caught her when she almost slipped in a puddle of water…" I replied truthfully. "It wasn't really a hug."

"Yeah, sure… You don't have to make excuses. I just wish it had been me hugging the cute girl in the bikini." I felt my smile twist into a glare. Ichijo's eyes widened and he backed away from me slightly. "Calm down, Hiro! I wouldn't even think of trying anything with your girlfriend… If she is your girlfriend…"

"So what if she's my girlfriend?" I declared defiantly as I turned and headed towards the main doors again.

"I knew it!" Yoko almost shouted. This was getting annoying…

"So… what's her name?" Ichijo asked.

"Kisa…" I replied. They looked at each other and started smiling again.

"That's the one you rescued?" Yoko asked. I bet he had no idea of the actual implications of that statement.

"Yes…" I didn't like where this was going…

"Did she 'thank' you for it?" Ichijo asked.

I whipped around so fast with a glare that he almost fell back down the steps. Slowly shaking my head in disgust, I walked through the doors of the school.

The day went fairly normal… It was only a half day but it still felt rather long and I was rather tired by the time classes got out. Today was mainly used for introductions and such. It was so boring. Ichijo and Yoko sadly caught up with me as I was leaving.

"I wanted to ask you something, Hiro!" Ichijo shouted.

I sighed and turned around. "What is it?" I asked.

"Why weren't you at the dojo all during summer? Are you giving up on martial arts?" Ichijo asked. Yoko gasped. Ichijo was two full belt colors below me and we had started at the same time. Yoko was half a belt rank below him. He just wasn't really that skilled, I guess.

"No… I had an accident and was hospitalized for most of the summer," I said calmly. They must have read a joking manner in it.

"Oh, very funny… come on! You can tell us!" Ichijo pleaded. I just stared at him. After knowing Kisa for so long, I had gotten better at controlling my temper. If this had been three years ago he would be reduced to a crying, curled up ball by now. I could generally reduce a person fairly fast when I wanted to. Finally, he took the hint.

"You weren't joking?" he said all of a sudden, his eyes getting slightly bigger. I simply shook my head.

"What happened?" Yoko asked. I decided to amuse myself. I might as well get something out of this conversation too…

"I jumped in front of a speeding truck…" I said calmly. They both started laughing…

"No… really, what happened?" Yoko said between laughs.

I just stared at him. "Really…" Both of them stopped laughing instantly and just stared at me with round eyes. I held back the laughter.

"Um… why?" Ichijo asked. I looked down towards the ground then, clearly remembering my feelings at the time. I would rather die than see her die… My sad thoughts must have shown through on my face because both of them started to frown.

"It was to save her," I replied in a quiet voice. "I would rather die than be forced to watch her die instead." I had no idea that these memories would be resurfacing today. I closed my eyes then and clearly saw the shocked look on her face as she fell backwards. Then the pain hit and I was flung to the left… I instinctively clutched at my right side then and winced. It had seemed so real! Ichijo and Yoko stepped back.

"You mean Kisa? She was about to be hit by the truck and you knocked her out of the way and got hit instead?" Yoko exclaimed in surprise. I managed a nod.

"Wow. I only have read about those kinds of things before! Why on earth did you do something like that?" Ichijo asked me. I smiled then. That was the simplest question that I had gotten all day.

"Because I love her…" I said as I started to walk down the school steps. I heard two gasps behind me. They quickly rushed back up to either side of me and probably would have continued the barrage of questions if I hadn't stopped suddenly, staring with wide eyes.

Among a group of girls waiting near the end of the school's walkway was Kisa… She was happily talking among her friends. She was still wearing her school uniform so she must have come right here afterwards. Why did she choose here to hang out with her friends, though? Just to wait for me? Ichijo and Yoko followed my gaze into the group of girls and gave me questioning looks once they looked back. I ignored them…

Kisa must have been periodically checking the doors and walkway because she looked up all of a sudden and her eyes caught mine. She smiled then and the two girls she was talking with turned around. A smile snuck onto my face as I walked forward.

"What are you doing here?" I asked playfully. Ichijo and Yoko jumped slightly. I don't think I had ever used that particular tone in front of them before.

"Waiting for a special someone to leave their school…" she replied in an equally playful tone. Her friends gave her odd looks as she started walking forwards.

"Oh, really? Have I met this person yet? Could you introduce me?" I continued.

She giggled then, "I think you already know him fairly well…" She continued walking forwards. Ichijo and Yoko were probably wondering who this was by now.

"Him, huh?" I asked with a grin. She just giggled and stopped about three feet in front of me. Her friends had cautiously followed a few steps behind her. I glanced at them. "I don't think I was properly introduced at the water park." I added. Kisa smiled and looked to her right. I saw a girl that was a little shorter than Kisa and had blond hair tied up in two ponytails.

"This is Mori Kojima…" She looked to her left then. I saw a much taller girl with strait black hair and glasses. "…and Inoue Sakamoto."

"Nice to meet you…" I spoke, bowing. Giggling followed from her two friends. I just kept smiling. I noticed Kisa's eyes shift past me and realized that Ichijo and Yoko must have followed me. I rotated to my right and discovered that this was, indeed, correct.

"I don't think you've meet my two friends before. The taller one with black hair is Ichijo Tsutomu and the other with brown hair is Yoko Shuji," I introduced. Both boys blushed slightly and bowed. Somehow I managed not to laugh.

"My name is Kisa Sohma, nice to meet you," Kisa spoke politely. Both of their eyes widened and they looked over at me. Kisa glanced at me with a raised eyebrow before continuing, "What have you been telling them about me, Hiro?" she asked.

I was about to continue when Yoko butted in. "We were just telling him we saw you two at the water park a couple of days ago…" I blinked in mild confusion.

"Yeah! We were just asking him how he thought you looked in a bikini!" Ichijo commented. Subconsciously, I looked for the nearest tree I could bash his head off of…

"Oh, really?" Kisa asked, blushing slightly. "And what did he tell you?"

"Oh, he said that you looked…" My hand clapped to his mouth so quickly that it pushed him backwards slightly. Kisa laughed. I turned back towards her.

"So now that you found me, what are you planning on doing?" I asked in a playful tone yet again.

"Walking home with you, for one…" She replied. "I was hoping your mother could make me some after school lunch."

"Oh… Well, I will be your bodyguard for the walk home then," I replied. She giggled again. I started to turn.

"There was another reason…" she said all of a sudden. I turned back to look at her. She was blushing again?

"Oh?" I asked.

She nodded then. "I wanted to properly thank you for catching me at the water park."

I smiled. "Well, don't mention it. I was happy to…" I started to say. She closed the distance between us quicker than I had expected. In less than a second, I found her arms around my neck and her lips pressed against mine. I wrapped my arms around her again, but more from bracing the force of her colliding with me. I saw both of my friends' jaws drop slightly in my peripheral vision before I closed my eyes. She was kissing me in public? She had gained a lot of confidence… I lost my focus slightly thinking about the rather large audience we had and realized that my lips had parted slightly. Kisa's eyes shot open as our tongues brushed slightly against each other! Oops… I broke the kiss hoping she wouldn't be mad at me. She was a lovely shade of pink at the moment, but still smiling at me.

"Thanks," she quietly said while still gazing into my eyes. Her cheeks started to return to normal skin tones. I let my arms drop to my sides and she slid herself off of me. Ichijo and Yoko were just gawking at us. Mori and Inoue giggled a little bit.

"Shall we get going, then?" I asked Kisa. She nodded and turned to her friends.

"Um… do you two want to come with?" she asked.

They looked questioningly at her. "Isn't it actually HIS house?" Inoue asked. I thought she had said we were going to my house. I kind of forgot most of the immediate conversation from before she kissed me…

Kisa turned slightly red again and looked over at me. "I'm sorry, Hiro! Um…"

"I don't mind," I interrupted. She smiled hesitantly at me. I turned to Ichijo and Yoko. "You guys can come too, if you want…" They were looking over at Mori and Inoue when I asked them and quickly snapped their heads back to me.

"Um… sure." Ichijo said hesitantly.

* * *

**Homecoming**

* * *

We chatted the entire way to my house. It turns out that Inoue and Mori were in the same grade as Kisa. We happily talked about what professions we thought we would be in when we got through school. Kisa and I were the only undecided ones…

It only took us about ten minutes to get to my house. Mother was quite surprised to see me come through the door with five other people following me. She said that it was alright that they stay for a little while and went about cooking for us all. I had serious doubts about fitting six people into my room but we all went up there anyway.

"Fan of anime?" Mori finally asked. We all managed to fit into my room. Kisa and I were crammed together on the bed, not that I was really complaining. Mori and Inoue had the foot of the bed. Ichijo and Yoko had the couch.

"Definitely. Why else would I have so much of it?" I replied, a tad on the snide tone. I knew Kisa didn't like my attitude, sometimes, so I kept it to a minimum.

"I don't know… To impress Kisa?" she speculated. My pillow hit her in the face before she got her first laugh out. Kisa just snickered. Inoue threw it back but I parried it out of the air. It landed behind me somewhere.

"We used to watch it every Saturday," Kisa said. I resisted asking her what happened with that… It would seem she had expected me to because she was just looking at me nervously. I decided to change the subject.

"What are we going to do after lunch?" I asked to no one in particular.

"Hmm… I vote we go back over to the water park!" Inoue said almost immediately. "We don't know how many more warm days we're going to have." The water park? As long as I didn't come into accidental contact with any of Kisa's friends I would be fine.

"That sounds like fun!" Kisa exclaimed. Now I had to go along with it.

"Why not…?" I said. Kisa glanced at me with a startled look, and then smiled. Had she just assumed that I wouldn't want to come? I looked over at Ichijo and Yoko.

"Of course!" Ichijo said. He was just being his usual lecherous self. Yoko looked hesitant.

"I think that I had better get home after this. My mother will be upset that I didn't tell her where I'm going," Yoko said at last.

"Well, I guess it's decided then," Kisa said. Everyone except Yoko nodded in agreement.

Only a couple minutes later we were called down for our after school lunch. Mother had made ham and cheese sandwiches for everyone. They were gone in a matter of minutes, leaving six pleasantly full kids in their wake.

"We will be heading over to the water park for a little bit, Mother. I will try to be back by supper time…" I said as I walked towards the door.

"Are you sure that you will be able to swim in your current state?" she asked.

"I will take it easy. Don't worry about me," I replied, smiling. She nodded then.

"Well, have fun!" she added as we exited my house.

"Your mother is really nice!" Inoue commented once we had turned the corner.

"She usually is. Except when I do stupid things…" I added. Everyone laughed.

We dropped Yoko off at his house before proceeding to the water park. It was crowded, as usual, but I didn't mind. Ichijo and I headed into the boy's changing room. I had chosen a dark red pair of swimming trunks with black lining. Ichijo had a green, camouflaged pair. We exited at almost the same time as the girls. Kisa was wearing her yellow spaghetti-strap bikini from a couple days ago. Inoue was wearing a dark blue one-piece with black lining and Mori wore a standard pink bikini with white lining. I sighed when I noticed that Ichijo was just gawking at Mori, so I pretended I didn't know him. Kisa immediately rushed to the larger tube-slide and started climbing. I walked over to the diving board of the same pool.

It was approximately five feet in length and gave a little as I stepped out onto it. I had actually never tried a diving board before, but I wasn't particularly scared. Coming to a halt when I reached the end of it, I glanced up at Kisa. She had just made it to the top of the slide and was waiting for a small line of kids at the top. Noticing my attention focused upon her, she glanced back down at me. Her eyes widened a little when she realized where I was. I shrugged up at her and started a preliminary bounce. There had been some measure of tumbling training in martial arts, and I was hoping that this was somewhat similar. After about the third bounce I balanced all of my weight onto my right foot and applied extra force to the board. The spring sent me high into the air but because I had pushed off with my right foot I was sent spiraling. I completed four lazy spirals in the air, rather enjoying the sensation of flying outside of my dreams, and came down into the water feet first at a forty-five degree angle. I "landed" at the bottom of the pool and crouched there, admiring the distorted appearance of those things above the surface before pushing off and resurfacing. I inhaled deeply when I surfaced and floated on my back towards the ladder.

As I was casually floating, though, I heard the springing sound of another one of the diving boards and my eyes widened as I realized it was the one about three feet to my left. A rather large kid pulled a cannonball into the water. I was washed off my selected drifting course. I sighed. I floated towards the right of the slide exit then. That was one area I wanted to stay clear of… Suddenly, I heard commotion from up above. I flipped to my feet and supported myself against the side of the pool. Looking up I took note that most of the launch platform for the bigger slide overlapped the pool.

It looked like someone was trying to cut in line ON the platform. I shook my head sadly. That was part of the reason that I didn't like the slides. They had such a line at the top of them… Then I noticed Kisa was waving down at me from the handrail. I smiled up at her. Then I noticed the line-cutter. He was slowly making his way towards Kisa's position. I sensed trouble and climbed out of the pool using the ridge. Kisa turned around to look at the large kid pushing his way towards her.

When he got to her position he just shoved Kisa in the shoulder and sent her backwards into another kid. A low growl escaped my throat. I felt like diving back in and "accidentally" colliding with the kid under water… I didn't have time to finish my lovely visual thought of putting my foot into his face though because the kid Kisa collided with, a little boy that looked about eight, lost his balance and went over the edge. I could have easily caught him except for one minor problem. He lashed out with his right hand and caught Kisa's left arm. She went over with him! Luck was paying me back for my good fortunes earlier and the kid grabbed hold of her in mid-air. Kisa let out one scream as she fell. I positioned my feet on the rim of the pool. The fall was a good fifteen to twenty feet and I couldn't catch both of them without serious pain occurring to me. I tilted myself backwards just as both of them reached me. The cloud was already starting to cover Kisa as both of them landed on me. Instead of letting them AND me get crushed into the ground, I redirected their momentum using my angle and all three of us went into the pool.

Sadly, I soon discovered that Kisa wasn't the cub I had remembered her as. An almost full size tiger was now underwater. I didn't give either of them time to recover. My mind racing, I quickly kicked off the bottom and reached the surface. Depositing the kid on the edge of the pool I took a deep breath and submerged again. I was hoping Kisa kept her wits about her underwater or this could prove very difficult. I swam down near the bottom where I had left her. She was attempting to make it over to the corner. I stopped her with my hands and she looked over at me. Thankfully she recognized me or I may have been attacked. I bent forward then and put my mouth to hers. I hoped she got the idea. If she resurfaced while transformed we would have problems. I breathed my lungs supply of air quickly into her mouth.

She seemed to get the idea… I kicked off the ground hoping it didn't take her too long to change back. Feigning trying to find her shape in the water, and being very happy that the pool was almost twenty feet deep, I looked around the surface for a little bit. I saw one of the people on the sidelines point out all of a sudden. He had spotted her form underwater. "She's down there!" he cried out, thankfully not realizing that it was actually a tiger. Well, that little trick wouldn't work again. Hurry up and change back, Kisa! After taking a VERY big breath I dived under water again. I swam back down to the tiger. The bubbles coming out of her mouth were smaller and smaller.

I placed my mouth against hers again and this time she readily accepted the air supply. I then thought about something. Tigers don't wear bikinis very well. I glanced towards the surface and saw the bright yellow fabric floating near the middle of the pool. I kicked off towards it, hoping she would transform back before I returned. Breaking through the surface of the water I quickly grabbed both pieces of the bikini. Ignoring the laughs, I took another big breath and dived back under. This was going to be it, Kisa… Please! I landed next to her and she put her mouth against mine, and I gave her all the air that I could muster. Everything started to darken slightly but I held on. All of a sudden she had become a human girl again. I quickly looked away and handed her the bikini. It only took her about five seconds to put it back on but it felt like an eternity. I was getting dizzy when I felt her arms go around my waist. Kicking off the bottom with all of my might I propelled us towards the surface. I grabbed the ladder as we went by and pulled us up onto the concrete of the pool edge. Both of us lay there gasping for breath for a few seconds. Applause broke out around the pool all of a sudden. We had attracted quite a bit of attention with the scream it would seem. A couple people were coming towards us to help, but I quickly stood up and extended my hand towards Kisa. She pulled herself back up using my arm and smiled at me.

The mother of the child I had rescued first rushed towards me. She had outstretched her arms so I could only assume she wanted to hug me. I extended my hand to stop her but it only hit her shoulder. Looks like my playtime in the water wasn't done yet, I thought. I feigned slipping in the puddle Kisa and I created and used the woman's momentum to send me into the pool again. I floated quite a ways down and then noticed that Kisa's feet were sticking into the water. Pushing myself up against that side of the pool, I allowed myself to rise. When I reached within arm's distance of her feet I started lightly tickling them with my fingers. They started squirming immediately but she didn't pull them up. I grabbed the ankles and pulled myself to the surface of the water. Kisa sat on the edge, smiling down at me. Water still dripped freely from her hair and she looked extremely cute.

All of a sudden she reached down with both of her hands and grabbed each of my arms. I followed her force and pulled myself out of the water about three feet. My waist was well above water by now but Kisa just leaned back. This simple motion pulled me mostly out of the water and onto her. She smiled up at me then and, leaning upwards, planted a shy kiss on my lips. More cheering from the crowd as I rolled off her slightly, probably turning many shades of pink.

"Are you ok, Kisa?" I managed to ask after a few moments. I had a feeling I was going to be sore tomorrow…

"Now I am…" she replied. I smiled. It would have been a pain for Hatori to erase the memories of everyone who was at the water park, and I think that I had just diverted a huge disaster. I sighed then and slowly sat up. Why did everything I try to do to help people usually end in disaster? I turned my head to the left slightly and noticed that Kisa was still laying on the ground smiling up at me. Reaching down with my left hand, I poked her in the belly-button. She started laughing and sat up. Break time was prominent on my mind and I walked over to some of the lounge chairs that had the umbrellas attached to them. After laying down in one, I simply watched the others have fun. School was tomorrow and if I did much more exercise today I was likely to sleep through it. I think I must have been really tired then, because the next thing I remember was Kisa's voice.

"Hiro? It's getting late. We should probably head back now…" she said, gently nudging my shoulder. I looked at my watch and it read six-thirty. Apparently, Ichijo left a little while ago. I quickly changed and met the girls back out at the entrance of the park.

"Um… Hiro?" Inoue asked as I approached.

"What is it, Inoue?"

"Do you actually know martial arts?" she asked.

The question surprised me a little bit. "Yes. I'm only a belt and a half away from black at the moment," I answered truthfully. Yuki had never told me what his color was, but I was pretty close to Kyo at the moment. Haru was a little bit below me but he had his "black" form to back him up.

Her eyes widened a little bit. "Um… could you do us a favor, then?"

Kisa laughed. She must have known what they were going to ask. I had a feeling I could make a pretty accurate guess. "What is it?"

"Well, the last time we walked home there were four of us. That was plenty because we were all going to one house…" she explained. "But today there are only two of us and we have to be dropped off separately." I simply nodded, so she continued. "Do you think that you could escort us to our houses?" she finally asked. I sighed. This would put me into my own house probably far past nine… Mother was NOT going to be happy, but I would feel terrible if something happened to the girls on their way back home. I laughed then. I HAD been hanging around Kisa too long…

"Sure… I would feel bad if any of Kisa's friends got hurt because of my inaction," I replied. Mori and Inoue smiled then. I turned to Kisa. "I will escort you as well. Care to be the last one?"

"It doesn't bother me…" she said. I nodded and we set out.

* * *

**Dilemma in the Darkness**

* * *

We walked towards Inoue's house first. It was only about a mile from the water park. They knew where they were going, and I wanted to keep them within visual range of me, so all three girls lead up front until we got to Inoue's house. 

"Thanks for the escort home, Hiro! I wasn't really expecting anything but you can never be too careful…" she shouted as she reached the door to her house.

"Don't mention it!" I shouted back while waving. If anyone was really keeping score, I had better get bonus points for today. It had already felt like TWO days in one…

Once it was down to only two girls, I didn't mind as much if they let me lead. Mori told me the way to her house, and it was relatively simple. The only problem was that it was almost three miles from where Inoue lived. We had entered the DISTRICT that Mori's house was in by nine o'clock! I sighed.

"Sorry about this, Hiro…" Mori spoke when she heard my sigh. Kisa and Mori were following VERY close behind me so I could at least clearly hear their footsteps.

"It's ok, Mori. I had fun today, so it makes up for the lecture I will get when I get home…" I replied in a joking manner. She and Kisa laughed.

"Even after all of the trouble that happened at the park?" Kisa asked.

"I'm alive, so I guess that's what counts…" I replied, rather uneasily. I thought I had heard footsteps but I didn't want to scare Mori and Kisa on a false report.

"Until tomorrow, anyway…" Mori commented. "You probably will feel like you're dead in the morning." All I could do was nod. Hmm… following along the ally parallel to us?

I feigned a laugh then. Kisa looked at me with a questioning expression. I stared at her with a serious one. Her eyes widened slightly and I saw her glancing around a little with just her eyes.

Mori stopped then and turned to me. "You know… my house is only a couple of blocks away. We can just split up here to save time," she spoke, smiling at me. Heh…

I just gazed back at her with a sad expression on my face. Kisa looked close to panic when she said that. This was stupid. Why bother waiting for them to attack us and herd us all together…

"I can't let you do that, Mori…" I answered her. "You would never make it to your house." She stared at me with a look of shock.

"I'm sure that it's not that dangerous. I could easily…" she started to say. I ignored it, though, and started calming myself mentally. I glanced over to my left then, directly into the darkened ally. She stopped talking and followed my gaze.

"Looks like the little brat is on to us…" a male voice spoke from the darkness. I simply stared into the dark and made out three shapes moving out of the ally.

They stepped into the street and the light shined on them. I almost wished it hadn't. All three of them were varying shades of ugly and ragged. They looked about in their twenties. Part of a gang? Doubtful… They were probably just loner street punks desiring money and the two girls that were now moving behind me. Not that any of that mattered. Death was about equivalent whether it was from random thugs or an organized gang…

"You would be wise to just hand over your money and the chicks, boy! You could escape with your life then…" The middle one spoke. I took a quick analysis of the three slowly walking towards us. They could probably catch us if we tried to run. From right to left they were armed with an iron pipe, a broken bottle, and a switchblade. The odds weren't exactly in favor of us winning… Could I distract them while the girls ran? No… I had heard of tactics being used like this before. There could be more of them waiting to snag anyone who ran… I suddenly felt an anger building up in me. WHY? What on earth had I done to deserve this day? There was no way that I could possibly abandon Kisa and Mori to them. I felt Kisa's hands start to shake on my arm. After a moment of thought, I made my choice.

Walking a couple of steps forward I reached into my back pocket and took out my wallet. I threw it to the ground near my right side. This looked the most natural because I had pulled it out with my right hand. I then spoke, "You can have the wallet and all of the money in it, but I suggest that you don't try to mess with the girls. This is your one warning…" The icy tone of my voice echoed surprisingly well against the side of the building across from me. The knife wielder approached the wallet and started to bend over to pick it up. I held back my smile as I noticed through my peripheral vision. I felt my stomach muscles clench as the adrenalin started flowing through my system. I encouraged its flow because I was going to need every bit of it…

The one on the left laughed then. "Stupid brat!" he yelled as he swung his pipe straight down at my head. He was probably expecting it to crack my skull open and drop me in one hit like the "brat" he thought I was. He most certainly wasn't expecting me to sidestep just a fraction of an inch out of the way to the right. Mentally, I waited for the sound of the pipe hitting the ground before lashing out with my left foot. It hit the end of the pipe hard and ripped it out of the guy's hands. Coolly, I noted the blood that now flowed from his hand. I twisted my foot in the same instant, shifting the angle of the other end of the pipe. It went directly into his right foot. Everything was moving in slow motion by now, and I watched him start to bend over. I put everything I had into my right foot and leaped straight up, putting my knee right into his face! There was a sickening crunching noise then as his head whipped backwards. It sounded like his jaw and nose, but I guess it could have been his neck. I didn't really care at the moment because survival of the two behind me was my only thought.

Mori and Kisa must have finally realized that something was happening because I heard their unified scream start. Still in the air I directed my attention at the one picking up my wallet. He had the knife, so I had labeled him the most dangerous. He was just starting to look up from his bent over position. I landed on my right foot again and lunged to the right. I managed to clear the distance between us in two bounds. He started to bring the knife upwards in a wide, sweeping arch. As I landed with my right foot, I dropped into a lower, cross-armed block and caught his wrist. I attempted to disarm him, but he was too strong and pulled his hand backwards. Oops… hadn't expected that. Luckily with this much adrenalin pumping through me I didn't feel anything as the knife was slashed across the palm of my left hand. He continued drawing the knife back and attempted to stab forward with it again. I caught his wrist in my right hand and pulled with his momentum, putting the stab way off to my left as I rotated. Pulling the arm upwards slightly, I lashed out with my left palm. I ground the hand against my right fist using the palm, and I heard the knuckles in his right hand pop out. The knife fell harmlessly to the ground and I shoved his arm right again and he stumbled backwards.

By this time the other guy with the bottle was charging me. I knew that paying any more attention to the disarmed knife wielder would be stupid at this point, so I let go of his arm and focused on the bottle wielder. Timing my move perfectly, I lashed upwards with a high kick using my left foot. As planned, it missed his hand entirely and hit the bottle with the heel of the foot. The glass shattered upwards, and I vaguely remember noting the red lines appearing across his face in a spread pattern. The now harmless bottle top dropped out of his hand the moment his brain registered the pain. It, unlike his hand, continued the downward motion and shattered against the ground. If I had to guess, the pieces probably slid to the girls' feet. I pride myself in knowing that that was the closest that any of their weapons would get to the girls.

I didn't wait for him to recover and lunged forward, violently driving both palms into the guy's chest. He stumbled backwards slightly, and I heard crunching from his chest. The sound seemed oddly familiar… Then I realized that some of his ribs had given way under my strikes. Still, he didn't look like he was going down, so while he was still bent backwards slightly I put three more rapid punches with my right, then left, then right hands into his gut. As he bent forward from the pain, I topped it off with one more right hook into the side of his head. He stumbled then, and fell over sideways.

Sadly, I had been ignoring the knife wielder the entire time. I felt a slash go across my right shoulder then, and noted that he must have switched to his left hand. The leg followed a split second later and entered my stomach. Kisa screamed for the second time. The air exited my lungs rather quickly, but I grabbed a hold of the leg that kicked me. He tried to pull me back down into the ground, but I simply spun around on his leg and ended up sliding behind him. This probably confused him, but I didn't give him time to think about it. Still holding onto his right leg, I pulled upward violently. He went toppling over then and I leapt over his temporarily fallen form. Luckily, I timed my jump correctly and I landed on his left hand with my foot. There was a crunching noise as I ground the hand into the pavement along with the knife. I quickly lashed out with my right hand and drove it into the back of his neck. He stopped moving.

Standing up quickly, I surveyed the street. All three bodies accounted for and no more sounds. Maybe there weren't any others… I was breathing rather heavily by then and was overly sensitive. Mori screamed and started running towards her house. I lashed out with my right hand and grabbed her arm.

"Don't!" I shouted to her. "There could be more!"

I backed both girls up against the wall of the building and extended my arms out to shield them. Probably not needed, but you could never be too sure…

"Kisa! There is a cell phone in my left pocket! Dial the police…" I ordered, starting to calm down a little bit. The three bodies weren't moving, so maybe it was safe. I'm actually kind of glad Mother makes me take the cell phone out everywhere I go now! I felt Kisa's hands enter my left pocket and withdraw the cell phone. I wasn't really in a condition to talk yet. It didn't sound like Kisa was either, though.

"He… hello…" I heard her say. There was a brief pause before, "Some guys attempted to mug us… please he… help!" She spoke.

After a longer pause she continued, "Um… uh… corner of fifth and marigold… please hurry…" I wondered why anyone would name a street after a flower… There was another slight pause and then, "Um… stay on the phone? Ok…"

We all slid slightly down to the ground in unison. I sighed…

"Um… y… yes, attempted mugging…" Kisa said after a minute or so. Then followed by, "Um… well… it didn't work…" I almost laughed. After a couple of seconds she continued.

"W… well they're all laying in f… front of us…" she said. This was followed by, "Well… Hiro stopped them… What? Oh… yes, he is still here. He has us backed up against a building right now and he's in front of us…" She seemed to be calming down slightly. I heard sirens…

"No… I don't think we need an ambulance… Um… on second thought, they might," Kisa spoke into the phone. Yup… She was better now… she had started caring about our attackers...

The sirens got closer now, and I saw three cop cars turn the corner. They stopped about ten feet away from the mess in front of us. Four police rushed over and started to check the muggers. One rushed over to where we were. I stood up and sighed. Both girls followed me.

"You can hang up the phone now. What happened here?" The cop that approached us asked. Kisa stepped around me and handed the cell phone back to me. I turned it off and slid it back into my pocket.

"These men stepped out of the alley over there and told Hiro to give them all of his money and us…" Kisa said, motioning towards me.

The cop looked me over really quickly; especially the two knife wounds, and then glanced over at the three bodies. "What happened to them all?" he asked, wearing a slightly stunned expression when he turned back around.

"I tossed them my wallet and told them to leave the girls alone…" I spoke, then quickly continued, "Then the one that was wielding the pipe attacked me, so I defended myself and them…" I motioned back towards Kisa and Mori…

The cop actually started laughing a little bit. "Well they certainly picked the wrong kids to attack, didn't they?" he said after a couple of seconds. I nodded.

"Could we have your phone numbers to get in contact with your guardians later tomorrow?" He asked next, pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. I wrote both mine and Kisa's down before handing it over to Mori. She handed it back to the policemen. He nodded to her.

"We're going to give you kids a ride home, ok?" The policeman said.

"Um… I live up there actually…" Mori pointed up the hill towards a house with lights still on.

"Well, I will get an officer to escort you up there." He responded. Suddenly my shoulder and hand started to ache… I glanced down at the dripping blood and sighed… I then looked over at Kisa. She seemed concerned about something. She was just looking off into the darkness.

"What's wrong, Kisa?" I asked. The officer looked over at me.

"Remember how I had said I needed your mother to make me after-school lunch?" she asked me.

"Um… yeah…" I replied. I had another one of those bad feelings…

"Well, I kind of need her to make dinner for me as well… My mother got a call this morning from my grandmother. Grandfather is going to need a minor surgery done and she asked Mother if she would spend the night there tonight… I had school tomorrow, so I couldn't go… Can I stay at your place tonight?" She finally asked.

"I don't really see a problem with it…" I said.

"So I drop both of you off in the same place?" the officer asked. I nodded.

* * *

**Home Sweet Home**

* * *

A few minutes later, Mori was being escorted up the hill and Kisa and I were riding in the back seat of the police car. I was thinking about what an amusing scene this would be. The police officer drives up and escorts us to the door. Mother opens the door and sees the cop standing there with Kisa and I, and I'm bleeding all over the place… I shook my head then. The shock had finally gotten to Kisa. She started crying. I placed my hand around her then and tried to comfort her. She simply slid over and placed her head against my shoulder.

"You did quite well today… Hiro, was it?" the cop said.

"Yeah, I'm Hiro… I didn't do THAT well, though…" I replied. I looked at my left hand. There was a clean slash across the palm of it and blood was running down my arm. That was going to be irritating for a while… I sighed. Kisa seemed to snap back to reality when I spoke and looked at my hand.

"Oh no… You're cut…" she said in a quiet voice.

"They got my right shoulder too," I added.

She slipped herself under my arm again and put her head down on my chest. I wondered idly how much blood I was getting on HER… She reached across my chest with her left arm and felt my right shoulder. I winced slightly and she withdrew. She looked at the blood that was on her hand and sighed. I kissed her forehead.

"I will be fine, don't worry. I'm just happy that you're ok…" I told her.

She looked back up at me and smiled… We arrived at my house at about nine-thirty. The cop escorted us up to the door and knocked. My mother came to the door and opened it. She stared at us in shock for a couple of seconds.

"These two have been the victims of an attempted mugging along with another girl. This young man actually managed to subdue all three attackers before we arrived. We will be calling you tomorrow and possibly dropping by for more information. We recommend that they don't attend school tomorrow either. We don't want any information released until we investigate further. Please don't leave your house until we call…" He explained quickly. It sounded like it was memorized… Mother just nodded.

"Thank you, and we appreciate your cooperation," He added, bowed briefly, and then walked off. It was probably a standard response.

"Mother's not home, I will have to stay here tonight…" Kisa said. My mother nodded, then quickly brought us inside.

I was hauled to the couch and told to remove my shirt… or what was left of it… Mother brought out a tub of water and set it down on the floor. Kisa sat me down on the floor and began soaking my hand in the tub… Mother came back a few minutes later with a bigger tub and positioned it under my right arm. She started cleaning my shoulder cut. After both ladies felt that they had cleaned the cuts to the best of their abilities, the anti-bacterial came out. I knew there was alcohol in it so I just closed my eyes. Why did they both have to start at the same time? The pain was tremendous and coming from both my right shoulder and left hand. I completed one major wince and then just let the pain seep through me, focusing on deep breathing instead…

Soon they were bandaging both wounds and I could breath normally again. Kisa wrapped a single bandage around the palm of my hand and Mother was looping one around my shoulder. Finally, both of them finished. Mother turned to Kisa then.

"It's ok if you spend the next couple nights with us dear. I think some of your clothes are still in the closet from the last time you stayed here. Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower?" Mother asked.

"Um… Ok." Kisa spoke. She had calmed down a lot from earlier. Kisa wandered up the stairs.

Mother sat me down on the couch and found a similar position beside me. "Ok, young man," she spoke. "You'll survive, so let's hear the entire story…" The tone was a little on the harsh side, but still caring.

I related the entire story from the time I left the house until the time I arrived with the police. I even related the entire time at the pool and my slight rescue. Purposely being vague at the end when I fended off the muggers, I finally got back to the part where the police arrived. Mother listened patiently through the entire story.

"Well, it sounds like you were quite the hero today," she finally commented at the end of my story.

"I only did what I thought I had to at the given moment…" I replied.

"That's how most heroes operate," Mother spoke softly. "They don't actually know they're heroes until the moment comes and they act like one. That would have been a disaster if Kisa had emerged, transformed in front of all those people, and most boys probably would have lost their courage and just given those muggers everything they had wanted. If you had done that, I doubt Kisa and Mori would be here right now." It did make me feel a little more like a hero… Could I finally consider myself Kisa's prince? I sighed and stood up. It was only ten o'clock… After tonight's activities, I didn't feel the least bit tired.

Kisa came down the stairs then. She was wearing a pair of light pink shorts and matching t-shirt. Her hair was still damp from the shower. I sighed involuntarily. She was the most precious thing in the world to me. All I had thought about during the fight was making sure those horrible people couldn't get to her… When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed my gaze and smiled at me.

"You should go put some different clothes on…" Mother said. I snapped out of my daze almost instantly and nodded.

Once I got upstairs, I dug through my drawer for the most comfortable clothes possible. If I had to sleep in my clothing tonight, they would have to be loose-fitting. I found a nice, matching pair of dark green shorts and a tank top. After slipping them on, I stretched. It was nice to be able to move both arms again without large amounts of pain. The only thing that ached slightly was the newly formed cut on the side of the shoulder.

I rotated around while stretching and was going to wander back downstairs when I noticed Kisa was standing in the doorway. Almost falling backwards from being startled, I managed to catch myself on the bed. I pulled myself up onto a sitting position on the bed and looked up at her.

"It's only ten o'clock… Want to do something?" I asked. She just nodded. "What do you want to do?" She smiled and ran over to where she dropped her backpack earlier.

After a couple of seconds of digging around, she withdrew the latest edition of Mogeta. I smacked my head with my right hand. Kisa just laughed and then pretended to pout. Grabbing the DVD remote off the end table, I opened the disk drive. She smiled and walked over to the DVD player, inserting the Mogeta DVD… I waited until she was situated beside me and pressed play. Mogeta was probably the silliest Anime I had ever seen, but it seemed to be popular somehow… Kisa adored it and probably owned the entire series. After a couple of minutes she was giggling loudly. After about a half an hour, Mother came in to tell us that she had made supper. By this time Kisa had snuck under my right arm and was leaning against my right side watching from there.

"Now you be careful with his right arm, Kisa!" Mother scolded playfully. Kisa smiled up at her and nodded. We both got off the bed and wandered downstairs.

It was almost eleven thirty before we finished eating. We should have just enough time to finish the Mogeta DVD before bed. Both Kisa and I wandered back upstairs, quite full, and plopped down onto the bed again. Kisa immediately resumed her previous position under my arm and played with the loop of my tank top until I pressed play. The second half was far funnier than the first, and even had me laughing in places. Eventually we came to the ending theme song and credits and I pressed stop on the remote. I glanced down at Kisa then, and she was smiling up at me.

"Thanks, Hiro…" she spoke quietly.

"No problem. I can stand Mogeta as long as it's in small doses…" I joked.

"I didn't mean for just watching the Anime with me. You probably saved my life tonight, along with Mori's…" she spoke.

"I just did what I felt was right…" I replied.

"And it saved two innocent lives and dozens of people's memories…" she returned. I didn't really have anything to say to it. Bragging was something I didn't really do but I couldn't help it if other people were commenting on me. Did this mean that Kisa was proud of what I did today? I got my answer in a couple seconds.

Kisa slid through my arm and moved into my lap. Her face all of a sudden came into my vision and filled it completely. I moved my right arm around her to support her against me. Her eyes slowly closed and she placed a tender kiss on my lips. I felt my eyes close as well as I pulled her closer. All of a sudden I felt her lips part slightly. It could be accidental, so I waited a second or so. She didn't close her mouth, so I took it as an invitation. My tongue slowly explored into her mouth. Her tongue slid around mine. All new sensations were flooding into my mind. I felt Kisa's arms slip around my neck. I heard a stifled moan escape from her mouth then. She broke the kiss and smiled at me. Both of us were breathing heavily. I was about to smile, too, when Kisa leaned forward and captured my mouth again. Our tongues were still playing with each other when I heard, "AH! Sorry!" and the door slam shut. Both of us quickly looked over at the closed door. Oops… That didn't sound like Mother, though… Glancing back over at Kisa, I noticed she was looking at me now. Her face was pink and she had the tips of her fingers from both hands covering her mouth. Had I really just French-kissed Kisa? I never would have even thought of something like that.

"I… I'm sorry Kisa… I shouldn't have…" I apologized shakily.

Kisa shook her head rapidly. "I… I wanted to…" she said smiling. I smiled back at her.

Both of us walked to the door and I opened it. I almost laughed then. Tohru was lying on her back in the hallway, shaking slightly.

"Sis?" Kisa asked cautiously down at Tohru. I rolled my eyes at Kisa's cute nickname for her.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to enter without knocking!" Tohru spoke frantically.

"At least get up off the floor. You look stupid lying like that…" I commented. What was she doing here, anyway?

"Sorry!" Tohru yelped and quickly stood up.

"Hiro… don't be mad at Sis… We DID leave the door open," Kisa said. Didn't anyone ever think even five seconds into the future? If Mother came by and saw Tohru on the floor she would know something was up. I just rolled my eyes and walked back into my room.

"I came as soon as I had heard what happened today!" Tohru told Kisa. News does spread rather quickly. I had just assumed that they would find out about the water park, but the mugging afterwards? Rapid footsteps came towards my room from the hallway.

"Is everyone alright? I heard a door slam up here!" I heard Mother say. Thinking quickly, I stepped out into the hallway again.

"Tohru just was a little over-excited and closed our door a little too hard, that's all. Nobody got hurt, Mother…" I said quickly. Kisa just looked over at me and smiled.

"Well, as long as everyone's ok, then…" she spoke as she turned around and went back downstairs. I glared at Tohru. She just dropped her head a little bit. I shook my head and muttered "stupid girl" before walking back into my room and sitting on the bed.

Kisa walked in leading Tohru and both of them sat down to my right.

"I heard most of the story about the water park, but all I heard about afterwards was that you were attacked on the way home with a friend," Tohru stated.

"Yeah, Mori was with us when three muggers tried to ambush us," Kisa explained.

"Just don't spread this information too far, ok?" I reinforced, remembering what the police said. Tohru just nodded. I sighed and went into the story for the second time tonight. It took me a half an hour this time because I didn't hold back on the details. I thought that maybe Tohru would accurately tell it to the rest of the Sohmas and this would be the last time I would have to recount the story. My faith was shaky when it came to Tohru's memory, but I guess it would have to do. Towards the end, my mother dropped by and listened to the end of the story. I didn't care if she thought I was violent at this point and just wanted to get through the story. By the time I reached the end, she had moved into the room and was sitting on the couch.

"You should probably let these kids get some sleep. They have had a rough night," Mother said after I had been silent for a little while. Tohru nodded and stood up.

"I will drop by again tomorrow to see how you're doing," Tohru told Kisa as she was leaving. Kisa nodded.

"Ok… See you tomorrow Sis!" she shouted to her down the hall. By the time she got back, Mother had already made the couch up. I somehow doubt that it was going to be used for very long, but I humored her silently. Then I pondered if she actually realized this yet. Probably not, or I would have gotten a stern lecture by now.

Kisa lay down on the couch and said goodnight to my mother. I said goodnight as well as she exited and the lights shut off. After about three minutes I noticed the hall light go off and I heard footsteps enter Mother's bedroom. The sound of her door closing hit my ears and I sat up. This was followed quickly by the signature sound of the blankets on the couch moving and then nothing. I was suddenly tilted slightly to my left and I felt her arms slide around my waist.

"Hiro, I have a favor to ask you…" she whispered.

"What is it, Kisa?" I asked in an equally quiet voice.

"Do you think you could stop the bad dreams from coming?" she spoke then.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I usually have horrible dreams if something bad happens to me during the day. When I was younger, I was plagued with them constantly, but…" she spoke. A sad tone was in her voice.

"But?" I tried to get her to continue.

"Then you helped me gain confidence in myself and protected me from the teasing," she added.

"Well, if I'm there in your dream, I won't let anything bad happen to you…" I spoke.

"Yeah but I don't think that I can just start spending every night with you…" she added. I hoped that someday she could.

"Then just think about me when you start having a bad dream. You have gotten pretty good at controlling your dreams so far. Trust me; my image would protect you with his life too…" I tried to comfort her.

"I know…" she said then.

This surprised me slightly, but she pulled me back down then and assumed her usual position of her hands on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her waist and we fell asleep. If we shared our dream tonight, I was determined to make it the happiest I could…

* * *

**Chapter 6 – End!**

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Author's Notes: 

Wow. This was a long chapter! Sometimes the urge to write just hits me and I can't seem to stop! I'll try to cut them back in the future. A tad more violence then usual in this chapter but I don't think it was too extreme. A note on the rating change however. I've decided to temporarily drop the story down to a T rating as it's going to be quite a while before anything extremely violent happens. I'll either raise the rating back up when we get to that point or split it intoa different story all-together. Talk to you later and hope you enjoyed this (long) chapter! -A.T. 

**Individual Review Responses:**

**lightningstrxu:** Development is what I'm hoping to show as well. I'll definitely keep righting as I love this story. Thanks for the review! 

**Princess Lady Subaru:** Wow... how... optimistic. This chapter ended on a much nicer note however. Cuteness is what I strive for however so thanks for the excellent review! Hope you liked this chapter as much as the last and thanks for reading! 


	7. Drifting

* * *

**Disclaimer**

* * *

I don't own Fruits Basket's characters or story in any way. The only thing I own is the storyline for the fanfiction and it's own characters... well... and volumes 1-12.

* * *

**Chapter 7 -- Drifting**

* * *

The wounds really didn't take that long to completely heal. Kisa had stayed at my house for two days, though, and we found out from the police the next day that all three of the thugs were hospitalized. I wasn't in any trouble, though, because they had attacked me first and I had two witnesses to that claim. I looked over at Kisa then and shook my head. She was facing away from me, watching the TV. I had a new action Anime and was now showing it to her. 

I finally found out about the truck driver, too. Apparently, I could have gotten quite a bit of money out of him if I had pressed charges. He HAD hospitalized me for an entire summer. It would seem he fell asleep while driving and hadn't seen us. He was almost sixty, though, and about ready to retire. If I were to press charges, he probably wouldn't be able to retire. My conscience, which has now taken the embodiment of Kisa, urged me to just let it go. Oh well…

This was our second "date" of the semester. It was really only a small afternoon get-together, but I called it a date because none of her friends were along as well. It was awfully hard to get a moment alone with Kisa with her friends around, and even harder to pull her away from them. It seemed like she thought the slightest little sign of refusal that she gave them would cause them to hate her.

It's almost Christmas now, and almost midterm time before the lengthy Christmas break. As I have said before, this is our second date of the semester. We have only had TWO in the entire first half of the school year. This is almost worse than her getting teased! They could almost control everything she did. I don't think they were doing it on purpose, but it had the same effect.

She seemed bored. Sure, action Anime wasn't really her thing, but she usually paid SOME attention to it. Today, she was just staring straight ahead. I angled her vision and calculated it to be centered on a space about a foot and a half below the screen of the TV. There was a really excellent fight scene going on, too… I shook my head.

Waiting for the split second that there was a flash of an explosion, I hit the power button on the remote. I had timed it perfectly and it looked like just blackness after the explosion. Thinking that it would take a couple of seconds of no sound for her to realize that the movie had stopped, I waited. She didn't do anything. She just kept staring straight ahead, not blinking. I felt a little insulted, but I didn't let it bother me too much. I wondered what she was thinking about.

Then, my thoughts floated back to a couple of days ago. Momiji was teasing me about something that was supposed to be going on today… What was it? The school dance! They had an annual winter dance and it was scheduled for today! She probably had wanted to go to it with her friends… I sighed.

Picking up a small pillow from behind me, I sent it casually though the air and landed it in front of her. She jumped then from surprise and looked back up at the screen. After a split second of staring at the screen, she quickly turned around to me.

"How long has the DVD been off?" she asked, a little bit of guilt showing through in her voice.

"About five minutes now…" I estimated. I watched in amusement as she turned slightly pink…

"I'm sorry, Hiro… I was distracted today…" she spoke hesitantly.

I looked down at the bedspread. The dance was only for high school students. I wouldn't be able to attend until next year. I sighed again. "You want to go, don't you?" I finally asked.

"Um… I wasn't planning on leaving until about midnight, like I usually do…" she spoke. I sensed the hesitation in her voice.

"I meant to the dance today…" I said, in a slightly hurt tone. The pink shifted to a red and she looked down at my floor. I thought so…

"I didn't know you knew about the dance, Hiro." she finally said, quietly.

"Do you actually have a… partner lined up, or are you just going to hang out with your friends and hope to pick someone up there?" I replied. There was a horrible snide tone to that, but I didn't care at this point. Yes, it was nice that she was going to not go to the dance to hang out with me, but if she was going to be miserable the entire time, then it was pointless.

Her eyes widened. "I was only going to go to hang out with my friends…" she spoke way too quickly. I raised an eyebrow. She looked away from me then. I sighed. She did have someone lined up and she didn't want to tell me. Now I was a little hurt.

After a few more seconds she spoke again, "Well, I did ask Haru to come with me and pretend to be my… um… date so that if anyone asked me to dance I could turn them down. I didn't want to turn into a tiger in the middle of the dance floor," she explained. Great, she wanted to dance with Haru…

"Well, I'm so glad you can at least keep enough sense about you to think of the family curse before wandering off to dance with a bunch of random boys…" I commented. The sarcasm was dripping from it…

"Well, of course! I don't need Hatori to…" She stopped there. My eyes widened slightly. The ONLY reason she had thought of for not dancing with a bunch of random boys was because of the curse! That's just great… She couldn't have thought of a reason along the lines of, oh, I don't know… she already has a boyfriend!

She seemed to have finally realized what I had meant by the last sentence, because her eyes widened then. She sprung from her spot where she was sitting and attempted to rapidly crawl up to me on the bed. I moved my hand forward and stopped her using her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Hiro! I would never think of dancing with other boys! You're the only one that I…"

"It's ok, Kisa… You don't seem to be having any fun here, so you might as well run off to your dance…" I spoke, trying to sound logical. I felt like crying instead.

She strained against my arm. It took all of my will to not just let go and let her collide with me and hug me. We had done precious little hugging and almost no kissing the entire school year. This was due mainly to the fact that we have mostly been in public with her other friends, if she remembered to invite me at all…

"Hiro… I can stay with you. Don't worry about it…" she spoke then.

"You won't enjoy yourself here. I don't want to be a burden to you, so go and have fun with your friends," I replied sadly.

"Hiro…" she whined. I felt her stop pushing against my hand then. I sighed again. What was I doing? She had offered to stay with me! I knew what I was doing… I had put her enjoyment above my own… again. A part of me was asking when it was my turn to be selfish and another was applauding me. I didn't know which to follow, so I dropped my hand from her shoulder and just sat there looking at the sheets of my bed.

"Are you sure, Hiro?" she finally said after sitting on my bed for a little bit. I glanced over at the clock then. It started at seven and it was five thirty…

"Only an hour and a half until it starts. Better go and get ready." I spoke with a slight snide undertone.

"Well… ok… I will make this up to you, Hiro! And for the rest of high school I will always go to the dances with you…" Kisa said then. She stood up off the bed and walked towards the door to my room.

"Have fun…" I told her as she walked out.

"I will!" she spoke in a happy, excited voice.

"…without me," I added in a whisper.

It was still light out, so I didn't feel that I had to escort her. I probably couldn't in my current mindset anyway. I continued staring down at the spot on my bed sheets. What should I do with the rest of my day? The only plans that I had involved Kisa, who was now absent from my life at the moment. I curled my knees up and wrapped my arms around them, burying my face in my legs. I couldn't think of anything that even sounded remotely interesting except cuddling with Kisa and watching Anime all night…

Maybe a walk would help me… I stood up from my bed and wandered downstairs. Mother was reading a book when I entered the living room.

"That was rather nice of you…" she spoke without looking up from the book. I stopped.

"It's not like she was having fun here anyway…" I replied calmly.

"It still was nice to sacrifice your fun for hers…" she said, looking up with her eyes from the book.

"Well, I have to find something else to do, so I'm going for a walk…" I added.

"Be careful where you go…" She went back to reading… I walked out of the house…

* * *

**Tears of Pain**

* * *

I must have wandered for quite a while. It was getting dark and I looked at my watch. Seven-thirty… I hoped she was having the time of her life right now. Somehow, I found myself in our field. I walked slowly to the back in absolute darkness. By the time I had reached the tree in the back, the moon had peeked out from around the clouds and illuminated the area. I bent down slowly and touched the place on the tree where I had leaned. How long ago was our first kiss? The moment was burned into my mind. The rain was a torrent, but you had found me in the darkness and rescued me… You had told me that I would never be replaced in your eyes. I desperately cling to those words… 

My forehead touched the tree. I just kneeled down there and sat with my head against the tree… How long did I sit there? Seconds? Minutes? Hours? I don't know… I eventually stood up and wandered off again through the darkness. Who knows if she would rescue me again…

The wind was rather calm tonight. The cloud cover had dispersed completely and the moon blazed like a second sun in the night sky. Stars were everywhere… I found myself sitting on a rather large hill. It was on the rise above the High School. I could here the music from here being carried on the wind. All varieties of music were being played.

The snow would soon be coming down and Christmas would be here. What would I get Kisa this year? She is the only one I put a tremendous amount of thought into when shopping. A dress would just seem unoriginal. Any type of stuffed animal would seem too childish. Something homemade would just turn out ugly and wouldn't impress her at all. I sighed. It had to be something that showed how much I really care for her, yet is within my price and skill range. I had thought about making her a cute piece of jewelry out of shells or something, but that would just look cheap. Earrings were out because she didn't have pierced ears. It would have to be a necklace or bracelet. Both, maybe? One that I acquired from a store and another that I made? I will make the bracelet, but buy the necklace!

I started thinking about what to make the bracelet out of. If I used shells it would be too sharp and hurt her wrists. I could use beads, but that would look artificial. What then? Make the beads myself? That would be really difficult… My mind wandered back to the subject of stuffed animals. What if I were to get her a REAL animal? Maybe a kitten? Kisa might like a kitten. But that would mean she would have to take care of it… She might not want the extra burden. I sighed and assumed a position close to the one I was in on my bed. The only difference is that I can see over my knees and view the school. If I couldn't go into the building with Kisa, I could at least watch it…

I glanced at my watch then and it read nine-thirty. The longest they could stay till was ten. That's when the dance would end… I simply watched. There was no school tomorrow, being that it was Saturday and I wasn't really worried about getting home at a reasonable hour. I waited and tried to think of a good present for Kisa.

They must be staying until the end of the dance. It was almost ten now and I had just heard the music stop playing. A flood of people exited the building. The Sohmas would have stuck together and were probably last, I thought. Sure enough, it wasn't long before I saw the bright pink dress of Tohru. Yuki and Kyo were walking along with her. Haru, Momiji and Kisa were a little bit behind them.

My eyes widened. Kisa had large, elegant ribbons in her hair. They were a bright yellow color. She was wearing the yellow dress I had gotten her and a beautiful yellow choker. She had on white gloves and a bracelet on her left hand. She looked stunning in the dress. Then it slowly sank in… This was the first time I had seen her in the dress. She was supposed to wear it to our next date but we had never had another official one. Instead the ENTIRE high school had seen her wearing it before I had, and I wasn't even with her when she was in it!

Somehow, I was standing now. My arms began to shake uncontrollably. I just stared down at Kisa in awe and horror. My jaw was hanging slightly, but I didn't care. She looked beautiful wearing the dress, but she was looking beautiful for everyone but me.

They were happily chatting amongst themselves and walking down the road in front of the school. It ran towards the base of the hill for a couple blocks before turning to the right. Momiji seemed to be talking to Kisa at the time and she was nodding to whatever he was saying. I think my entire body was shaking at this point. My vision started to blur slightly. I was reminded of the water distortion effect I had seen from the bottom of the pool. Haru made some comment then and Kisa slapped him playfully in the arm. He put his hand on her head and affectionately rubbed it. It broke loose… I felt the warm trickles go down my cheeks.

Momiji suddenly stopped walking. I shifted my attention off of Kisa's elegant frame and glanced over at him. My eyes came in direct contact with his. He was looking at me… I wondered if he recognized me or not. I didn't care and looked back towards Kisa. She had walked a couple more steps before stopping and turning around. I saw her mouth something at Momiji. At this distance I couldn't possibly hear what she said. The others stopped a couple seconds later and turned around as well.

Momiji extended his right hand and pointed up the hill at me. I saw Kisa turn, followed by the others. For a split second her eyes met mine. I could almost hear some of the things she said earlier… "You will never be replaced in my eyes…" I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. An image of who I now know as Inoue, "Wow! Kisa is so lucky that you're her best friend!" I wrapped my arms around my stomach… "Best friend" seemed to echo through my head. It bombarded me from all sides. I would try to turn away from it, but then it would come in from the other direction and I would turn the other way. I slumped down to a kneeling position shaking there. I felt the tears flowing down my cheeks.

I glanced back at the Sohmas in the road. Kisa was slowly walking towards the edge of the road closest to the hill. She wouldn't take her eyes off of me… My tears seemed to burn into my cheeks then. I couldn't stand her gaze anymore. I broke into a run, scrambling down the back of the hill and into the forest at the bottom…

* * *

**Contemplation**

* * *

The blade glinted in the moonlight. It was only about three inches long but that would suffice. I was holding my pocket knife out and looking at it. I sat on a rather large boulder that was halfway into the stream. My shoes and socks sat to the left of me and my feet dangled into the running water. I was holding a small chunk of wood in my hand and slowly chipping away at it with the pocket knife. 

Slowly, it started to resemble a marble. I had one done already and all I would have to do now would be to put the hole through it. All that was left was to think of something to put on each bead. I had guessed that I would need about twenty all together to make the bracelet. I would also need to paint each bead as well. I hadn't even looked at my watch since I had arrived here. Time meant nothing right now. The only thing that mattered was finishing the beads for a bracelet to give to a girl that I knew… I drove all thought out of my head and put all focus into making the beads perfectly round. I set my second one down and reached into the pile beside me for another chunk of wood.

After I had chiseled the next chunk down to a relatively smooth bead, I started working on trimming the corners. The bead slipped out from between my thumb and index finger and the knife slashed into my thumb. I quickly lashed out and caught the bead out of the air before it landed in the stream. I rolled it around in my hand then. My thumb was bleeding from three different points and my index finger had two cuts. I couldn't let the pain get in the way of making the bead perfect, though.

This whole process would go a lot quicker if my hands would stop shaking so much! It would be nice if I could see correctly, too, and not have a slight distortion to my vision… I set the third bead down in my pile and reached down for a fourth chunk of wood. Idly, I wondered what color they should be. Yellow would probably be best, but it would be hard to get the exact color I was looking for. It couldn't be bright yellow. That was far too harsh to look at and wouldn't match the girl wearing them at all. Too light of a yellow would make the beads seem plain and they wouldn't stick out. That defeated their purpose.

The fourth chunk was ready to be touched up now. Each bead had to be perfect or it lost the feeling that I was trying so fruitlessly to convey. It had been a while since I had actually attempted to carve anything, though, and I was out of practice. I had ruined two beads before I got my first one completed. I ignored the blood running down my left arm and continued to work on the beads. A little blood on them wouldn't hurt. Blood could be washed off so easily… even if it stained the wood, a layer of new paint could easily cover the worst of stains.

I set the fourth bead down in my ever-growing pile and picked up a fifth chunk of wood. It was getting hard to hold the pieces through all of the blood on my fingers, but I would have to manage. Suddenly, my ears picked up cracking of sticks on the ground behind me. I made no outward signs of knowing that they were there and kept working. Nothing could interrupt the process of making the beads. If I stopped, I would start thinking again and that would lead to more pain and nausea.

The footsteps came closer but made no effort to sneak, so I ignored them entirely. I dipped my blade down into the water to wash the blood off of it. If the knife was slippery, it wouldn't function at optimum performance and I would make another mistake, which would cost me a bead. Out of my peripheral vision I saw a hand descend upon my bead pile. Without bothering to move my head to look, the knife shot down and stopped maybe a centimeter before contact with the skin. I was still looking down at the bead in my hand that was half finished.

The hand made a surrender signal and I inched the blade away from it. It moved away from my beads, so I went back to carving. The figure sat down on a rock near me and watched. There was no point in interrupting my work to look at them or interact, so I kept perfecting the bead. Eventually it was perfect, and I set it down in my pile.

I reached down with my right hand for the next piece of wood when I heard, "Hiro?" It was a male voice, but I didn't bother to recognize it further. I only stopped briefly before picking up the next chunk of wood and starting to hack at it. If I paid too much attention to him I might start to think of things again.

"What are the beads for, Hiro?" the voice asked me then. That was a relatively safe sounding question, since the beads were my only focus at the moment…

"I'm making a bracelet…" I spoke. My voice seemed distant and I didn't recognize it as my own. I didn't stop working on the bead, though.

"Who is the bracelet for?" he asked then. I didn't want to recall too deeply but this might be ok.

"A girl that I know," I responded simply. The bead slipped slightly and the knife hit my index finger again. Well, at least they have equal cuts now. The bead only fell into my hand so I placed it back in-between my thumb and index finger again.

"A girl you know? Is it for Kisa?" he asked. The bead hit my palm again. The knife fell and landed sideways on my foot in the water. My head started to hurt again as I pictured her in that beautiful yellow dress. It sounded like drops of water were hitting the stream but it was just tears. I looked up at the all-revealing moon.

An image briefly flickered before my eyes. You walking away from me in that beautiful dress… That's what I felt like. You were drifting away from me; ever slowly until I couldn't even touch you anymore, then you were gone… I reached down while still looking up and grabbed the knife that was still on my foot. Finishing one more cut on the bead, I placed it in the pile and washed the knife. After it was rather clean, I slid it back into itself and pocketed it.

I had hoped not to think about her for a little while, anyway. Doing things with my hands has always had a way of venting my feelings and helping me deal with things. I realized that I was still shaking then, and I used my right hand to wipe the tears from my eyes. Then, scooping up the six small beads, I dropped them into my coat pocket. My watch was sitting on my right shoe. I glanced down at my right hand. Blood had run down to my elbow. I sighed and dipped the hand into the water. A mist of red moved through the water and I splashed some up my arm to clean it, too… After the wrist and accompanying arm were clean, I slipped the watch on and buckled it.

After a couple seconds of staring down into the water, I looked over at Haru on the other rock. He was just sitting there, still in his dress clothes and accessories, looking at me as calmly as ever. His "white" form was always so passive about everything.

"I thought that a homemade gift would be good but I am also going to buy a necklace just in case she doesn't like this…" I spoke then.

"She will love it…" he replied calmly.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Because you made it," he stated simply. I just stared at him without emotion for a little while. He did the same, but no real surprise there.

"As long as she isn't gone by the time I finish it…" I added, looking away from him and back up at the moon.

"Gone?" he asked.

"She's slowly fading away…" I explained.

"She might look like she is, but she's just expanding herself…" he replied. "I think she's closer than you think. Just give her time." I laughed then. Time is the only thing I felt like I didn't have.

"Did she enjoy herself tonight?" I asked then.

"The second half of the night she did," Haru replied.

"What about the first half?" I inquired, honestly curious.

"It took us that long to get her to forgive herself for leaving your date." This shocked me a little bit, but not much.

"She wasn't enjoying the date anyway. All she could think about was the party."

"Which only gives you a perfect view of her split mindset. She is constantly trying to desperately balance both sides of her life," he explained. "She has you and her past on one side which she respects greatly and loves, but she has her new friends on the other side of the scale and she deems them as overly fragile and easily destroyed. She is afraid of balancing too heavily on either side of the scale and losing the other side. She just deems you more stable than her new friends and thinks she can put more pressure on you and trust you to persevere." It did kind of make sense, but I don't think that I was as strong as she thought.

"How did you come to this conclusion?" I asked.

"Mainly it was through watching and monitoring from a third person perspective, but she also asks me advice too. I had thought you were slightly stronger, but I guess I was overestimating you…" he said. It hurt a little bit, but he was right. I had to be stable to support Kisa! It was the only way that she was going to expand safely. All it took was a little bit of self-sacrifice.

"I will try to be stable from now on to support Kisa better," I replied at last.

"You actually do understand…" he replied. "Good."

I had been letting my feet dry for a little bit now and slipped my socks and shoes on. I glanced at my watch, and it said eleven o'clock. I sighed and looked over at Haru.

"I should probably be getting home now…" I told him.

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that…"

"Oh?" I asked, slightly confused.

"You have left behind a very worried girl on the road back there who refuses to go home without knowing you're safe…" Haru explained. My eyes widened.

"Kisa?" I asked stupidly. He only nodded. She had waited there for an hour for me? I started walking back towards the road and Haru followed me.

* * *

**Concern**

* * *

We exited the side of the woods in a few minutes and I saw them all. They had moved off the road slightly and were positioned on the hill. Tohru was sitting on a rock with Kisa resting against her legs. Tohru was rubbing Kisa's shoulders. Kyo and Yuki were both sitting near Tohru, glancing up at the stars. Momiji sat near Kisa and was saying things to her. 

Everyone except Kisa looked our way when they saw movement. I was walking forward now across the moonlit field, a little bit behind and to the left of Haru. Momiji nudged Kisa's knee a little bit and her eyes shot open. She belted him in the shoulder and he fell sideways, holding it and whining. I laughed then and wished that I had a camera. Kisa's head quickly turned in my direction and her eyes widened. She started rushing towards me through the field, laughing. She was still wearing the yellow dress, though, and when she got about five feet away she tripped.

I shot down at a forty-five degree angle and caught her before she hit the ground. Her arms were instantly around my neck and her head was over my shoulder. She was crying again? I reached into my pocket and withdrew one of my many tissues. Wiping her eyes gently, I smiled at her. She returned my smile. I stood her up and backed away from her. She looked confused until I started looking up and down her. She smiled then and rotated around so I could see all sides of the dress. Once her back was to me, I noticed that the backside of the dress was slightly green. I started chuckling. She glanced behind her and saw the stain. Her face turned pink and she tried to brush it off. I laughed harder. An hour of waiting? I guess Haru was right when he said she was afraid of balancing too heavily on either side.

I stepped towards her then and walked her forward after Haru. She laughed as I escorted her quickly to the road. We all walked for a long ways in silence until we got to our breaking apart point.

"Who is supposed to bring Kisa home?" I asked.

"Well, we were going to do it, but it's a ways off our course, and you're here now…" Yuki spoke. I detected a slight bit of teasing in his voice.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"Come on, Hiro! Please?" Kisa asked in that adorably cute voice. My will gave away.

"Ok… fine," I replied. She hugged me then. My scowl melted into a smile.

We broke away from the other Sohmas. It would seem that Hatsuharu was going over to Shigure's as well. I walked with Kisa in silence for a little bit. She had sadly chosen my left side again, so I hid my hand in my coat pocket. Stupidly, I forgot to place the other hand in my right pocket and it still swung in time with my step. This probably looked odd because she soon noticed.

"Why are you hiding your left hand?" she asked. Oops…

"No particular reason… my left arm still acts up every once in a while from when it was broken," I lied. She raised an eyebrow to me. She knew me far too well…

"Let me see your hand…" she commanded. I sighed and withdrew it. Of course it was bleeding again but not as badly as it was a little while ago. I could see her eyes widen in the dark. "What did you do to yourself?" she asked with a slightly shocked voice.

"I was working on something and I cut it a few times…" I replied hesitantly.

"What were you working on?" she inquired as she examined my hand further. I smiled at her.

"A secret…" I replied. She looked up at me questioningly.

"You can't tell ME?" she asked.

"Not when it will affect you…" I replied. She was getting curious. She did share some traits with felines…

"Tell me!" she whined. I just laughed and walked on. "Hiro!" I heard behind me. I continued… "Hiro! I won't kiss you for a whole month unless you tell me now!" I stopped almost instantly. I heard giggling. Why did she play with me like this? My left hand started to shake a little and drops of blood hit the pavement. "Hiro?" she asked.

I spun around then and looked at her. My face must have looked extremely angry when I almost shouted, "Fine! It's a gift for you later!" Her eyes widened. I sighed…

"I'm sorry, Hiro," she said, looking towards the pavement. "I won't ask what it is anymore." I was being hard on her again. She needed my support, not strife. I slumped to a crouching position and sat down on the sidewalk.

"I'm sorry, Kisa. I shouldn't have snapped at you…" I apologized.

"I shouldn't have been so insistent. It wasn't right for me to threaten you either…" she replied, sitting down beside me. I put my hand on her head.

She slumped over sideways and put her head on my right shoulder. She seemed so sad…

"You know your butt's going to get even dirtier sitting here like this…" I joked.

Wham! The fist hit my right shoulder, sending tender throbs down my arm. "Hiro!" she exclaimed at me. I didn't reply and just winced slightly and held my shoulder. Her eyes widened when she realized that it was my right shoulder she had punched. "Oops… sorry, Hiro…" she apologized then.

"Not like I didn't deserve it," I said. She laughed then.

"Besides, what are you doing looking at my butt?" she said in a joking taunt.

"More often than you realize…" I said quietly. Her eyes widened and she went scarlet. This joke had corrupted slightly, so I decided to drop it. I stood up then and she followed.

We walked the rest of the way, chatting about what the dance was like. It would seem that she only actually danced once. Haru had stepped on her left foot and she had excuse herself from the dance floor to look at her foot in the ladies room. I laughed tremendously after she had finished. She refused to dance with him the rest of the night and hung out with Tohru at the snack bar. I placed a hand on her stomach then and she looked over at me confused.

"You don't seem to be any bigger, so you must not have eaten much…" I joked. I waited for the fist to come in again, but it didn't. Instead, she placed her left hand over my hand on her stomach and rested her head against my shoulder.

"I was kind of worried that I WOULD gain weight because I ate so much, actually… Thanks for saying I haven't…" she said.

"I don't think you have at all…" I added, happy that she was finally cheering up.

We finally made it to her house and she smiled at me then.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight…" she spoke quietly. I nodded.

"I'm glad you had fun at the dance…" I said then.

"Next year will be far better! You will be there then, and hopefully you won't step on my feet…" she joked. I made a mental note to take lessons from somewhere…

"I'm a much better dancer than Haru… don't worry." I replied. She laughed.

"Far cuter too…" she replied. My eyes widened slightly. She called me cute… She leaned forward and kissed my cheek then. I smiled at her, but looked down, pretending to pout… Then I decided to support her again, so I mustn't be greedy. I looked back up at her with a smile. She was giving me a confused look.

"What's wrong, Hiro?" she asked.

"Nothing… Call you tomorrow, Princess?" I asked playfully.

She nodded happily. I waved and turned to walk away. I doubted she would be attacked during the last five feet into her house. For one, I would have picked up on them by now…

"Hiro?" I heard behind me. I stopped and turned around.

She pressed herself into me and planted a large kiss right on my lips. I held her for a few seconds, blinking in shock at her after she broke it.

"Sorry for ignoring you so much… I will try to do better in the future," she whispered. I was only a couple inches away, so I had no problems hearing it…

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad you had fun with your friends!" I tried to sound as cheerful as possible to encourage her. Her eyes widened slightly, and I realized I must have touched upon what Haru said earlier. She smiled then.

"You're so understanding of me, Hiro…" she said playfully. I broke our embrace then.

"It's late now. You should go get some sleep…" I spoke softly. She nodded and turned around, walking up her driveway. I walked off into the night, dreading the conversation that I would have with my mother in a few minutes…

* * *

**Chapter 7 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Wow. This chapter was a LOT shorter then the others! I was able to put it out in record time! It was kind of sad but oh well. It had a sweet ending anyway. Thanks for reading! The reviews are really nice too!

**Individual Review Responses:**

**YingXYang: **Glad you like the story so far! As of THIS point, Hiro is in his last year of middle-school and Kisa is just starting up her first year of high school. This will be a REALLY long story by the time I'm done so I'm glad you like it.

**Princess Lady Subaru:** That's what everyone says. It would seem I'm good at writing cute and fluffy things. Thank you for the support!

**lightningstrxu:** -breaks out into copious amounts of laughter- Oh yes. Hiro's becoming interested in all new things about Kisa. -chuckles- I plan on keeping up with the updates barring any completely unforeseen accident such as Armageddon or being hit by a Mountain Dew truck. -blinks- Other than that, this should be a rather long story! Checked out your story too. I applaud your cuteness!


	8. Enduring

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Enduring**

* * *

It was really hard to do. I had gone almost three months without so much as a "date" from Kisa. All of our outings had been very social, public things that numerous friends had accompanied on. Now that I think more about it I'm sure there was a reason she didn't want them to know that I was her boyfriend… They pestered us constantly about not spending enough time together. But being together with me wasn't what Kisa needed right now. She needed friends and certainly deserved them after being taunted all through middle school. 

I was lying on my bed going through withdrawals. My mind was almost screaming bad thoughts at me by now. They were mainly spawned from missing Kisa, of course. Could she really be considered my girlfriend if we really hadn't done anything private in three months? I thought back to what Haru had said, though. She was trying to balance her life between me and her new friends and if I wanted to help her, I should be stable and someone that is always there for her.

What about my feelings though? Could I really be that strong to endure through EVERYTHING with no help whatsoever? I had to try for Kisa. I sighed then. What a boring Sunday. School was tomorrow and finals were coming up. I wasn't particularly scared, but that still meant that all of the teachers would be cramming to fit everything in before the finals. Good, I thought. It will give me something to do, at least. I sat up then.

Walking downstairs I excused myself from the house. Walking always helped me calm my mind. I headed over towards the Dojo to try and vent my anger on some random punching bags. If I was going to vent, it might as well be used for something. I had no idea where Kisa was at the moment because she hadn't bothered calling me today. She was probably off enjoying herself with her friends right now.

I turned the corner and entered the walkway up to the main entrance of the Dojo. I thought back to last Christmas. I had spent so much time working on that silly bracelet and I still didn't finish it in time. Luckily, I had already bought the necklace and she loved it. Every time I saw her now she was wearing it. I guess it didn't take that much effort to put on each day, but it was still nice that she was at least putting that much effort into me… Of course, I hadn't given up on the bracelet yet. I had put too much time, energy, and not to forget… blood into it. It would be finished soon, and I think I will give it to her for an after-school gift… Why not? I had given her a before-school gift.

The walkway up to the Dojo leads through an amazing rock garden. Interesting patterns surround each individual rock in the sand. The sand was as white as snow but was packed so tightly that it didn't drift with the breeze. I sighed. Somehow, I always relaxed when I came here… The relaxation didn't last very long, however, and I soon entered the main doors to the Dojo.

I managed somehow to NOT fall over upon entry. There were only about three people in the massive room. One of them was a student that I vaguely knew. I had only sparred with him once so I didn't really know his skill level. The other two I recognized almost instantly… One was the temporary weekend instructor that frequented here and the other was… KISA! I couldn't stop staring. She was dressed in the usual white training clothes and wore an equally white belt around her waist.

Nobody paid me any attention, so I walked across the room slightly so I could get a better view of Kisa. I stopped when I was off to the left of her and about thirty feet away and crouched there, watching. Kisa was listening to the instructor. He was lifting her foot off the ground and putting her through the motions of a simple high kick. She nodded and resumed practicing against the large punching bag. Her stance was adequate, but she didn't balance herself correctly when she kicked. Her opponent could probably push her backwards the second she lashed out.

She continued and put three solid kicks into the top of the punching bag. There was a surprising amount of power behind the kicks. I hadn't guessed she could really generate that much. The instructor congratulated her on the kicks and she nodded happily. If it had been me doing the same performance, he would have been tempted to attack me. Instructors were always so easy on beginners… Not that I was upset he was taking it easy on this particular beginner. Why didn't she tell me she was interested in martial arts? I could have taught her a tremendous amount before she even set foot in the Dojo. I saw her lash out at the bag again.

This time too much force was put into her kick and her unbalanced kick backfired against her. She started tilting sideways, panicked and tried to shift to the other foot. I was amazed at the results. She spun completely in the air and brought her other foot, accidentally of course, into the bag as well before she caught herself and rebalanced. The instructor told her that was actually fairly skilled. I thought so too, which lead to me clapping…

The instructor looked over at me and smiled. Kisa spun around so quickly her hair hit her nose. She went scarlet red all of a sudden and took a step back. Was this supposed to be secret? I kept clapping and smiling at her, then stood up and started walking towards them.

"Hey, Hiro! Come to do a little practicing?" The instructor asked as I came closer.

"Originally yes, although now I'm more interested in your new student…" I remarked.

"I've never known you to hit on girls, Hiro… Wow…" The instructor replied in a joking manner. I walked past him and stopped a few feet in front of Kisa. She was just gazing at me and blushing with a rather guilty look in her eyes. It was so cute… The instructor probably wasn't expecting me to lean forward and place a gentle kiss on her mouth. She responded almost instantly and moved closer to me. I broke the kiss and stepped back a few steps. The instructor was just staring at me. Kisa smiled and I followed suit.

"You could have told me you were interested in learning martial arts, you know…" I spoke to her then. I heard a sigh of relief from the instructor. It would seem he just realized that we actually did know each other and she didn't mind me kissing her.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. I thought you would just laugh at me if I told you, anyway…" she replied, looking away slightly.

"Kisa… I wouldn't laugh at you. I think it's a great idea and I would feel a little better if you knew how to defend yourself," I answered. She smiled at me then.

"Well, it looks like you two know each other. I was hoping you weren't just going up to a random girl and kissing her…" The instructor joked.

"That would be wrong in so many ways…" I commented. Kisa laughed then.

"Well, since you know each other, I can trust her training to you for a little bit and take a lunch break…" The instructor spoke. He quickly continued when Kisa's eyes widened, "Don't worry. Hiro is quite skilled…"

"Oh I know! He's already used them to defend me before so…" she commented. I had been training for most of the school year, though, and progressed up another half of a belt level since then. I was now only one belt away from black.

"He had to defend you?" The instructor asked.

Kisa nodded. "Three thugs attacked me and a friend. Hiro was with us and subdued all three at once…" she explained. The instructor just looked over at me and I nodded.

"Excellent job! A proper use for your training…" he congratulated. I bowed and he did the same. The training was more difficult at my level, but I wasn't restricted to the same dress code at least. I was wearing a somewhat small black t-shirt that was tucked into my black jeans. The outfit had simply reflected my mood when I left the house.

"Would you be bothered by helping me train, Hiro?" Kisa asked then. Did she even have to ask?

"There isn't much that I would enjoy more…" I replied. She smiled at me.

The first thing I explained was how to keep her balance and move into her kicks. Once she had gotten this relatively perfected, I moved on and taught her a few more types of kicks. She learned incredibly quickly and I knew that she did have talent. After about half an hour, she was doing rapid, cascading kicks to three different portions of the punching bag. I just smiled while watching her. After about thirty seconds of constant kicking she dropped her foot and began to catch her breath. I patted her on the back.

"That was excellent, Kisa! You're a really fast learner," I told her. She smiled up at me.

"I think it's just because you're good at teaching… You did a much better job than he did," she commented, pointing her thumb back at the instructor eating a sandwich against the far wall. I laughed then.

"That's because technically I'm a higher belt color than he is, and I know you better than him and how to explain things to you…" I replied.

"You're more skilled than the instructor?" she asked in slight awe.

"That one, yes… He's only here to watch the Dojo during the weekends," I explained.

She seemed to think about something then. She looked back up at me and asked, "You still have the punching bag in your basement, right? If you wouldn't mind teaching me… could we use that one to practice?"

I was delighted. "Sure. I use it often, too… its just that this place calms me down, and I do a lot of thinking here…" I spoke, looking around.

"What do you think about so much?" she asked.

"Mainly you…" I replied without looking back at her.

"Really?" she asked. I simply nodded at her.

We started training again, and I taught her several punches to go along with the kicks. After a few minutes, she got the hang of most of them and I taught her how to add them together. After another half an hour or so, she was hitting the punching bag from all different angles using her hands and feet, and I just smiled as I watched.

Finally she started panting again and I went over and congratulated her some more.

"That's kind of fun…" she spoke after catching her breath. I nodded. "But I'm getting kind of tired…"

"You should take a break, then…" I said gently. She nodded and walked over towards the wall. I followed her over.

"Didn't you say you had originally come to practice?" she asked once she sat down against the wall.

"Yeah, until I saw you here," I replied.

"I don't want to keep you from your training. You could practice now… I would like to watch anyway!" she stated. I shrugged and walked over to the punching bag again.

Bending down to the base of the bag I detached the lock that kept it grounded. It still hung from a chain attached to the ceiling, but now it could swing. I stepped back from it and did a customary bow. It was mostly habit by now. Kisa was watching me very intently and the instructor had stopped eating and was gazing over at me. I extended my right foot and lunged. I landed on my left and spun around on it, bringing a sweeping, roundhouse kick into the side of the bag. It launched itself off the base and swung out about five feet before orbiting back to my right. Not bothering to reposition myself I lashed out with my elbow and sent it sideways again. It went out about seven feet and came swinging back. I brought my knee into it and completely stopped its momentum with a leg block. Four rapid punches and a side kick later, and it was moving again.

It felt so good to be able to pummel something! I had felt frustration for so long that it was all built up inside of my. Kisa hadn't been on a date with me for so long I had almost forgotten what they were like. A cross-arm block and double palm later and I had launched the bag ten feet out. I didn't care, though. Kisa's eyes were widening slightly at the force being exerted, but it felt great! More questions flooded into my mind that had been lurking beneath the surface. Why was it up to me alone to hold together the relationship while she went and had fun with her friends? A less understanding person would probably think I'm crazy for tolerating this, but I knew Kisa a little bit and when it came to confidence, she needed all the help she could get!

This didn't stop me from being upset about it, though! There must have been quite a bit of rage building into my punches and kicks then, because my next lashed out straight kick had the rafters creaking again. This didn't happen to my very often, and usually only when I was venting… The bag launched itself over fifteen feet out and had almost gone horizontal. It flew back at me with great speed!

Why did I have to be treated like this! Was it always expected of ME to be strong! People put way too much faith in me! It was like tossing me into the middle of the ocean and just assuming that I could survive by swimming to shore! Rage ripped through every muscle in my body at that point. I braced everything into my lunge. In one bestial scream I lashed out with my right foot the second I touched down. There was a tremendous clash of forces and I heard a ripping noise. Sand flew everywhere and covered my right leg. The punching bag spiraled limply off course, leaking sand from a huge gash. Nice… I almost ripped it in half this time. Luckily, the bags weren't that expensive to repair, and my considerable damage deposit would cover it.

The bag swung back towards me and I caught it with my right hand. The instructor rushed over to where I stood.

"What on earth were you venting today, Hiro? You almost ripped it in half this time!" he exclaimed. I was breathing heavily so I didn't bother to answer. There was a slow, tearing sound all of a sudden. It would seem the remaining sand in the lower half outweighed the maximum pressure of what was left of the bag. I dropped my head, shaking it, as the bottom came entirely off the punching bag and a mountain of sand covered my feet. The instructor just started laughing.

"Don't worry about cleaning it up today, Hiro… I will get to it before I leave for the day…" he spoke after recovering from his laughter. I thanked him and walked over to Kisa. Her eyes probably couldn't get much bigger. She was just staring at me with her mouth open slightly.

"Sorry about that. This is a good place to vent anger, too. It's far easier to replace equipment here." I laughed at myself then. Kisa stood up.

"What were you so angry about?" she asked after a couple of seconds. I looked away from her then.

"Nothing really… Just some minor thoughts that had been bugging me for a while, really…" I explained. Not really a lie… I heard a shape intake of breath.

"It wasn't anything that I did, was it?" she asked, worried.

"Of course not…" I replied, trying to sound cheerful. Ok, that one was a lie, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so it was ok. Somehow I don't think my 'Sounding Cheerful' worked very well. She tilted her head and looked at me sadly.

"You kissed me almost as soon as you saw me today. Have I not been paying enough attention to you again?" she asked quietly. To be honest, I couldn't help myself earlier. It was so nice to get her somewhat to myself that I couldn't resist. Although, I must admit, her equal balance plan would probably work a lot better if she at least took time to monitor how the other side was doing every once in a while…

I looked down then. "No… I'm fine." I said, trying to convince myself at the same time.

"Hiro…" she spoke softly. I turned my side to her. I couldn't stand to look at her anymore. My willpower did have its limits and it was already severely tested.

"Do you want to continue practicing now?" I asked her to change the subject.

"Actually, I'm getting kind of hungry. Maybe I will stop for the day. Besides, I told Mori I would meet her for lunch downtown at three…" she replied. It was two forty-five already. There goes my next question on whether she wants to come to my place for lunch. I sighed then.

"Oh… Ok… Well I guess I will see you later, then," I said. It was impossible for me to stop the flood of disappointment and sadness from washing through that sentence no matter how much I tried. I turned around to walk off.

"Hiro… Do you want to come?" she asked then. Why not? Being with her and her friend is better than not being with her at all. Besides, I hadn't seen Mori since the mugging incident.

"Why not? I could use some food," I replied, still a little sad. Kisa nodded and both of us left the Dojo.

* * *

**Lunch Date**

* * *

We dropped by her house to let her change into normal clothes and that put us slightly late to her lunch date. Mori was already sitting down at the Café by the time we got there. 

"Hey, Kisa!" Mori shouted when she saw us approaching. She then glanced over at me, "Hiro! I was wondering when I would get to see you again!" I felt Kisa's grip on my left hand tighten slightly. I glanced over at her but nothing seemed wrong.

"Hey, Mori!" Kisa shouted back. I released her hand and she sat down. The table only had two seats so I grabbed one from a different table and moved it to this one.

"How are Kisa and Hiro today?" Mori asked playfully. She was looking over at me when she said it…

"We're fine!" Kisa exclaimed. Sure… easy for you to say. Kisa started to open her mouth to add to it but Mori interrupted.

"I haven't seen you since those thugs attacked us, Hiro. I never did thank you for saving my life that night, did I?" she asked. She was still looking over at me. It was starting to get irritating.

"I haven't talked to you since then. I have been rather… busy," I said, trying to get her off the subject.

"I'll bet. You must have been keeping those excellent martial arts skills sharpened! You were incredible! That was better than some movies that I've seen!" she commented. This was getting a little embarrassing. I wasn't THAT good…

"Oh come on. I wasn't THAT impressive…" I replied modestly. I felt a little bit of heat growing in my cheeks in front of all of this praise…

"You're too modest, Hiro! You should try to…" she started to continue. Thankfully Kisa cut her off.

"Have you ordered yet, Mori?" Kisa said then. I detected impatience in her voice.

"Not yet. I was going to wait until you got here, but I didn't know you were bringing Hiro with you…" Why did she shift the focus back to me?

"Well have you decided yet? I'm here now so we can order." I thought I heard a little bit if irritation in her voice but she DID say she was hungry earlier…

"I can't really make up my mind… What are YOU going to get, Hiro?" She asked. There was a light playful tone to her last sentence. I could see both girls from this point and I could almost swear Kisa started to narrow her eyes slightly. She then turned to me.

"What do you want, Hiro?" She asked in an excited tone. This was a little strange, but whatever…

"I like this shop's sandwiches so I was just going to get a ham and cheese. Maybe a little bit of mustard, but not much…" I replied. I had wanted one of those for a little while now and that was probably what I was going to eat at home anyway…

"That sounds really good. I think I will have one too…" Kisa replied. I glanced over at her and she was smiling happily at me…

"Yeah, that does sound good. I've wanted one for a while now anyway," Mori stated. Kisa went back to staring at Mori, Mori smiled over at me, and I just got a headache. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea… I seem to be getting in the way of their lunch.

Several seconds of silence prevailed. Finally I just had to say something. "Um… Are we going to order them, then?" This was slightly amusing now. Both girls turned slightly red and looked down at the table simultaneously. I sighed and walked up to the counter.

"May I help you?" The waitress asked.

"Can I have three ham and cheese sandwiches, easy on the mustard?" I asked.

"Certainly! That will be…"

"$5.47 with tax," I finished. I had once been hungry enough to order three of them one day.

"Um… yes…" she replied hesitantly. I glanced back over at the girls as she was making the sandwiches. They seemed to be talking now at least… I sighed. She handed me the three separate sandwiches on three different plates. I slipped her seven dollars and told her to just keep it. Then, turning around, I walked back to the table balancing the plates on top of each other.

"Hiro! Did you pay for all of us?" Kisa asked accusingly.

"It's on me today, girls… don't worry about it," I stated.

"Wow… You're so generous, Hiro…" Mori praised.

"Well of course he is!" Kisa exclaimed. She wasn't looking at me when she said it though… I just sighed and started eating my sandwich…

During the conversation, while eating, I had noticed that they were edging their chairs around the table. Both girls now sat to either side of me instead of across from each other. If they were to move over much further they would be in my lap… I had just put the last piece of sandwich in my mouth when I felt a hand slide down my right arm. I must have jumped slightly because it pulled back quickly.

"Sorry… I couldn't resist. I just saw how strong your arms looked…" Mori spoke then. I felt Kisa's hands slide up my other arm.

"Of course he's strong! He practices martial arts…" Kisa cooed. I was slightly overwhelmed.

Sliding back in my chair I stood up all of a sudden. Both girls looked up at me bewildered. What was Mori doing? She hadn't acted like this the last time I saw her… Kisa stood up quickly following me.

"Where are we off to now, Hiro?" she asked happily. We?

"Wherever it is, I will go, too! I'm rather bored today anyway!" Mori quickly followed. Both girls were staring at me expectantly and my head was beginning to spin. Just then I saw Inoue over their shoulders!

"Hey, Inoue!" I shouted to her. Kisa and Mori turned around to look at her. She stopped walking and turned towards me.

"Hi, Hiro!" She exclaimed, smiling. She looked back and forth between Kisa and Mori. "What are you up to?"

"Trying to decide what to do next," Kisa said. She walked towards Inoue. Mori turned back around to look at me. She had a weird smile on her face. She giggled once and also walked towards Inoue.

My head started to clear a little bit. The three girls were talking happily now. I was just getting in Kisa's way here. I didn't want to ruin anything for her, so I decided now would be the best time to flee. I quickly retreated down the sidewalk and started heading back towards my house. Suddenly feeling tired, I decided to take a nap when I got home, maybe watch my new Anime afterwards. I wasn't going to watch this one with Kisa. She didn't like fighting Anime that much, so there wasn't a point. I was about forty feet away when I heard "Hiro?" in Kisa's voice. Oops.

All three girls rushed towards me then. Oh no… I suddenly felt like fleeing in the other direction.

"Where are you going, Hiro?" Kisa asked when she caught up with me.

"I was going to go home and watch my new Anime DVD…" I replied.

"I'll watch it with you, then!" Kisa declared. A date with Kisa? After all this time? I was really happy!

"I want to see it, too!" Mori exclaimed. Never mind…

"I have nothing better to do…" Inoue stated. Why me?

"But it's fighting Anime…" I added.

They all looked at each other, then shrugged. I sighed and lead the way back home…

* * *

**Unexpected Guests**

* * *

Mother was quite surprised to see me show up with three girls in tow. We all headed upstairs and settled down on the bed. Kisa was behaving very strangely. The entire walk home she had a death grip on my hand. When we got upstairs and I set the anime up, I noted that the only position on the bed still available was between her and Mori. I sighed and took it. Kisa surprised me by moving over me. I watched her as she sat down on my lap…? Oh well… I wasn't going to complain. I wrapped my arms around her stomach to support her there. 

The Anime was only an hour long and all three of them sat quietly through the whole thing. Mother called everyone down for supper a little while later and we all had to move. Thankfully she had called when she did because both of my legs had fallen asleep… I sat there recovering for a little bit before wandering downstairs.

While eating, I began to get curious about why Kisa was acting so differently all of a sudden. It had something to do with Mori acting the way she was… I would have to do a few tests to figure out why, though. It was almost dark by the time we were done eating. I told Mother that I was going to go back out for a little bit. She agreed, and all of the girls followed me without question. Test time…

"Should I be dropping anyone off yet?" I asked.

"What were you planning on doing now?" Kisa asked.

"Actually I had a weird desire…" I spoke in a slightly playful tone.

"What is it?" Mori asked. Mori and Kisa edged closer… Inoue gave them a weird look.

"I had wanted to go to the beach…" I said at last. All three girls gave me a questioning look at the same time. I resisted laughing.

"It's night, though…" Inoue spoke. Logical…

"Yes, but a moonlight beach is so romantic…" Mori added. Why did she care…? Oh…

"Yes! A perfect place for a date… Wanna drop them off and go over to it, Hiro?" Kisa cooed. Actually desiring a date? Jealousy too? Mori actually liked me? I suddenly understood. I felt horrible. I was ripping a huge gap between Kisa and her friend and causing her to have to compete for me… Why did I do this? It was making it harder for Kisa…

"We don't want to be dropped off… We can go too…" Mori exclaimed.

"That would ruin the point of having a date…" Kisa retorted. Uh oh…

"Actually, I was only kidding…" I said all of a sudden. This was so stupid…

All three girls looked at me then, but I continued, "I'm getting kind of sleepy, actually, so I will escort you ladies home if you want me to…"

"I don't want to walk home by myself!" Mori declared.

"Well you always walk me home," Kisa replied, defensively.

"I would prefer another escort after what happened to Mori and Kisa," Inoue stated.

I nodded and started leading the girls' home. Mori was the closest besides Kisa, so I dropped her off first. She seemed rather unhappy that she was the first one to be dropped off, but maybe she would realize that I only have eyes for Kisa now…

Inoue thanked me for escorting her and soon it was just me and Kisa walking. I waited until we were passing downtown before I stopped. She stopped walking as well and looked at me.

"What's wrong, Hiro?" she asked. I just sat down on the bench I had stopped near. It was actually only nine o'clock. Kisa sat down to my left.

"Today was a nightmare, Kisa…" I finally said after thinking about it for a little while. Her eyes widened.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"I almost got in-between you and your friend." I told her.

Kisa looked down at the cement, "What do you mean, Hiro? There wasn't really any difference from any other day." The statement sounded hollow. I just shook my head.

"Kisa, don't feel like you have to compete for me. I will always love you and ONLY you!" I told her bluntly. Her eyes widened.

Not giving her time to say anything negative I leaned forward and placed a small kiss on her lips. Her eyes had returned to normal and she was smiling when I backed off.

"Sorry, Hiro… I guess that I kind of overreacted. I promise I won't be jealous any more," she replied softly. Kisa, jealous of someone liking me? This is an odd twist.

"It's ok. I just don't want to get between you and your friends…" I replied. She just smiled more at me.

"Any reason that you wanted to go to sleep at nine o'clock?" she asked finally. I laughed.

"That was just to get rid of the other two, really. Why? Do you want to be brought home now?" I asked. She shook her head.

"Then what do you want to do?" I continued.

"Talk more…" she replied simply. Oh?

"I realize now that I haven't been paying enough attention to you if Mori thought that we were loose enough that she might have a chance…" she said at last. I shrugged.

"It was really a wake up call, I guess. If you hadn't done this, though, I probably wouldn't have stood a chance, really," Kisa continued.

"I repeat. You have no competition, Kisa…" I added then.

"Yes… well sometimes competition is a good thing, I guess. You certainly got a lot more attention from me today," Kisa replied, laughing slightly.

"Well, I must admit that it was nice, but I don't absolutely require it. If you want to hang out with your friends instead of me then that is perfectly ok," I tried to explain.

"Hiro… Why do you so willingly sacrifice yourself for me?" The question hit me off guard.

"All I want is for you to be happy…" I replied sadly.

"Even at the cost of your own happiness?" she asked. All I could do was nod.

"Hiro… you're too nice to me sometimes…" she replied. I glanced over at her and she was crying again. I reached into my pocket and withdrew one of my many tissues. She spoke again as she was wiping her eyes, "It's so hard to make everyone happy sometimes. I try to keep an equal balance, but now that I look back on it, there wasn't equality at all!" she yelled, mainly to herself.

"Then focus on making yourself happy. I can wait…" I tilted my head slightly while looking at her with a smile. She laughed at my face and finally stopped crying. Leaning forward, almost casually, she kissed me on the lips.

I smiled at her then slid closer to her. It was a rather cold night, so I removed my light coat and wrapped it around her. She gazed happily up at me then leaned up and placed yet another kiss on my lips. This time I wrapped my arms around her too. She deepened the kiss, opening her mouth and extending her tongue. I allowed it entry and played with it a little bit in my mouth. She started to moan slightly again and slid into my lap. My hands started exploring her back of their own accord. She broke the kiss and smiled at me. We were breathing heavily again. The night was far from cold now with Kisa sitting in my lap. I smiled at her.

"So now what do you want to do?" I asked quietly. She giggled.

"Shall we go for that walk on the beach now?" she asked. I gave her a questioning look but she just laughed. I shrugged.

Ten minutes later we were walking down the moonlit shore. It was stunning, really. The sand was almost white. My jacket was still wrapped around her and I had my left arm over her. We stayed on the beach until almost eleven o'clock just staring out at the surf. It was very peaceful and enjoying it with Kisa was even better. I tried my hardest to imprint this night onto my memory.

The walk home was equally peaceful and shortly we were standing on her walkway like so many times before.

"Thanks for the good time today, Hiro!" she said once we came to a stop.

"Don't mention it, Kisa! I had fun too…" I replied.

"Then we will definitely have to do more of it in the future!" she said confidently.

I nodded in agreement. Her friends didn't need THAT much attention! I was snapped out of my thoughts by her kissing me on the cheek. She handed my coat back and I smiled and accepted it. I watched her slowly walk up the steps to her house and enter before I turned around and walked off into the dark… smiling this time…

* * *

**Restless**

* * *

I lay on my bed staring at it. Each bead in the strand was painted an alternating pink and yellow. The band was elastic so she could easily slip it over her hand. On each of the pink beads I had carved "Love", and on the yellow I carved "Truth". All of my heart went into making the bracelet. Would she even like it? 

Glancing over at the clock I note that it's eight thirty. In the morning that is. On a Saturday it's pretty odd for me to be up this early but I couldn't sleep… Next week in school was finals. I would be going to high school with Kisa next year and that made me happy. Sadly, I had finally given in. Kisa would be coming over today for an Anime night. Yes, an entire night. My intentions were to give her as much fun as possible before the stress of the finals crushed us all into the dust.

I sighed then. There was no way that I was going to get back to sleep after all of this thinking. The bracelet was dangling from my index finger and thumb of my left hand. The same hand I had torn apart to make the beads. Luckily I had managed to hide the wounds from my mother until they healed. It would have been difficult trying to explain how I got them.

Finally deciding to get up, I wandered downstairs and wrote a small note for my mother explaining that I would be back around lunchtime. During Saturdays she usually sleeps in till about ten. I didn't want to disturb her so I left quietly. My right hand kept nudging the bracelet in my pocket. There wasn't really a destination in mind other than to walk. I was restless and needed to get rid of some energy.

What was I thinking really? Weird thoughts were floating through my head. Why was I saving up such a large sum of money in my bank account? Why did I always find myself in one particular place downtown? I stared vacantly at the store in front of me before, shaking my head, I turned around. The time for that would be later. For now I was still missing one important thing…

Shortly I found myself standing in the Dojo. The bag I had destroyed had been replaced. The repair had been slightly more costly, but not by much. Lightly punching and kicking at one of the bags, I simply killed time. At lunchtime I wandered back into my house. Mother had sandwiches ready. Kisa was supposed to come at one. There wasn't really a problem with her walking by herself since I had trained her for most of the year. She was still a white belt but that was just because she never could get the courage up to take the test. She could probably pass the first three with flying colors at her current skill level.

After lunch I headed upstairs and lied down on my bed. Maybe I could get a brief nap in before Kisa came over. What would she say to what I was thinking right now? What would her mother say? I already had a feeling that I knew what my mother would say, but that was only a guess. Before I knew it I had drifted away…

* * *

**Irritation**

* * *

My eyes opened. Where was I? A quick analysis proved that I was in my room staring up at the ceiling. What time was it? I sat bolt upright in bed and looked over at my clock. The display said five thirty? I rubbed my eyes and checked again. It remained the same. Where was Kisa? She was supposed to be here four and a half hours ago… I began to worry. 

Wandering downstairs I noted my mother asleep on the couch as I went past. I picked up the phone and dialed Kisa's house. Her mother answered the phone.

"Hello, Aunty! Is Kisa there?" I asked.

"Hello, Hiro. No, Kisa isn't here right now. May I take a message?" she responded. Not there? Where did she go then?

"Do you know where she went?" I asked.

"Yes. She went over to Momiji's for tutoring. She needs help to study for her Biology final…" she replied. I felt my temperature drop a couple degrees.

"Oh… I see… Well, thank you, Aunty," I said after a few seconds of despair.

"Wait… She was supposed to come to your house today, wasn't she?" Her mother asked after hearing my voice change.

"Well… yes, but I guess it wasn't that important… I will talk to you later, Aunty." I hung up then. I guess it wasn't that important… to her. I sighed. Do I dare go over to Momiji's to give her the bracelet? The rabbit would no doubt send an endless barrage of horrible comments at me. This whole thing would be much better if she had considered me smart enough to help her sometimes. I sighed again. Not wanting to disturb Mother, I just left another note and walked out the door.

Shortly I found myself in the main Sohma compound. It was an overcast day and it looked like it was going to rain. Let's see. Momiji stayed in the upstairs area of Hatori's place. Standing in front of the door I just froze up. Stupid rabbit. I could only imagine what he would say… This could ruin the entire thing if he was there. Oh well… I moved my hand forward and knocked. After several seconds of waiting, the door slid open and Hatori stood there looking down at me.

I started to open my mouth.

"Yes, your girlfriend is upstairs. You may come in and see her." He spoke before I could say anything. I slowly closed my jaw and entered, closing the door behind me.

The sight inside surprised me a little. Haru was sitting on one of the beds. There were bandages all over him and Hatori seemed to be applying the final one to his arm. We just stared at each other. For several brief moments there was complete and total silence as we stared. Then I turned away and headed for the stairs.

Stopping when I heard two sets of footsteps from above me, I waited around the corner of the stairs. Kisa and Momiji came down the stairs and looked at the door. Kisa was wearing a yellow pair of shorts and a light yellow t-shirt. She was barefoot though. Momiji had a flannel shirt on with blue jeans. Mentally noting that for once he looked like a guy, I walked forward silently and positioned myself leaning against the stairs end-post directly behind them.

"Did someone knock, Hatori?" Momiji asked then. I smiled. Hatori just looked up at him questioningly then shifted his gaze past him towards me with a look of minor confusion.

Kisa and Momiji whipped around and looked at me simultaneously. Kisa jumped backwards and clutched her chest. Well if she had a heart attack at least she was in the right place. Momiji just shook his head rapidly then tilted it at me questioningly.

Kisa stepped forward. "Hey, Hiro! What are you doing here?" she asked. Ouch. She had forgotten COMPLETELY! I felt like screaming out loud but instead kept my smile.

"I just came to check on how your studying was coming…" I spoke casually. Momiji raised an eyebrow to me but Kisa just dropped her head.

"Very slowly. I'm not a biology person…" she replied. I forced myself to laugh. I fidgeted with the bracelet in my pocket. This wasn't going to work… I should just wait until after finals. She wouldn't be able to focus long enough to fully appreciate the bracelet.

"Well, if you're busy, I should probably go then…" I spoke as I pushed myself off the end post.

"Well you could stay and hang out if you want…" Kisa offered. Momiji was still staring at me with a suspicious look.

"Nah… I would only slow you down even more. I will talk to you later then, Kisa," I replied as I reached the door. I stopped and turned to look at Haru again. This put my left side facing Momiji and Kisa. I smiled with the right side of my mouth and pulled the first couple beads of the bracelet out of my pocket. I saw Haru's eyes flicker downward quickly then back up. He gave me a brief nod but I just shook my head. Sliding the beads back into my pocket, I slid open the door.

"Well if you're sure…" Kisa asked softly.

"Yeah… I will probably just go home and watch some Anime now. See you!" I said and then walked through the door, shutting it behind me. I heard their footsteps climbing the stairs from outside the building. I shook my head and walked on. I had reached the end of the walkway when I heard footsteps rapidly coming down the stairs. I laughed to myself and kept walking. The door had opened by the time I went through the gates.

"Hiro!" I heard Kisa shout. I stopped walking and slowly turned around.

"You need something, Kisa?" I spoke calmly. She broke into a run down the walkway. Thankfully this walkway is stone plates, not gravel like Kisa's house…

"I'm sorry, Hiro! I forgot completely!" She shouted before she reached me. I just laughed and shook my head. Kisa could be rather forgetful sometimes.

Reaching my hands out, I caught her shoulders before she crashed into me. She just stood there looking like she was about to cry. "Don't worry, Kisa; it wasn't that important anyway…" I told her, trying to calm her down.

She looked towards the ground. "But you SAID it was important yesterday!" If I recall, I did say that, although it's a mystery as to how she remembered that so readily and not the date itself… I shifted my eyes away from her slightly.

"Don't worry. I exaggerated…" I replied. Momiji slowly caught up with us by now and was looking at me shaking his head.

"Well, if you're sure…" she spoke hesitantly.

"Your grades are far more important than our silly date…" I let go of her shoulders.

"Hiro…" she almost whispered. I reached out and brushed my right hand across her cheek.

"Study hard, Princess…" I said affectionately. I then turned around and walked out of the compound.

Randomly wandering yet again, I decided to go get something more to eat. Stopping by the same sandwich shop I had on our doomed lunch date, I ordered two of my usual sandwiches and sat down to munch. I was halfway through my second one when I heard, "You must really like this place's food…"

I swallowed my current bite of food before responding, "Hello, Mori…" I didn't bother to turn around. She sat down at my table then.

"No Kisa today?" she asked playfully.

"She is studying for her Biology final," I replied, finishing my second sandwich.

"The regular little scholar…" she taunted. My eyes narrowed and I glared up at her. She held her hands up into the air.

"Sorry! It's just I could never find that much discipline…" she added on. I laughed.

"Usually memory is a part of discipline, but I guess in Kisa's case, that doesn't necessarily apply." This was laced with a slightly angry tone.

"Uh oh… That somehow doesn't sound good. What happened?" she inquired.

"She was supposed to be on a date with me starting about five hours ago…" I replied. Mori winced.

"Now that just hurts… Kisa can be rather scatterbrained at times," she commented, shaking her head. I nodded in agreement.

"Not the first time she has forgotten me entirely… Oh well. I will have to find something else to do until then…" I said sadly.

"Um… about that. I do have something that I could use your help for…" she spoke hesitantly.

"Oh?" I asked, almost dreading what she had to say.

"Yeah… I was wondering if I could enlist your bodyguard service again," she stated.

"For what?" I asked.

"Well… I had this boyfriend a couple of months ago and he was really possessive of me and… well… a little crazy now that I think about it…" she explained. I had a feeling I knew what this was about already. She continued, "Well it got to the point where my parents filed a restraining order against him…"

"And you think he is going to attack you?" I asked. She nodded. Something seemed off here, but I decided to go along with it… "Well, usually I only protect Kisa from danger, but I guess that since you're one of her friends, I could help you."

She smiled then. "Thanks, Hiro!" I only nodded to her.

"Where are you going then?" I asked.

"Back to my house. I just got done being interviewed by the police, but they didn't view this as a serious enough problem to have me escorted," she said.

"Very well. We had best get going then…" I said as I stood up. She nodded and started walking towards her house. I just let her lead and walked a little behind her and to the left.

We had some mild conversation while walking, but it only stuck to basic things. She seemed nervous. Was she up to something or was she not telling me something about this 'boyfriend' of hers?

We were walking up the hill that leads to her house and so far no problems… Maybe I wouldn't be needed after all? I watched a couple on the other side of the street idly. Suddenly I wished I was with Kisa right now. Mori had just stepped beyond the rim of an alley. Suddenly I heard "DIE!" followed by and audible clicking noise. My system jumpstarted and things started to move slower. My right hand lashed out and pulled Mori backwards. She had just started to glance into the ally when I yanked her backwards.

What sounded like a cannon went off right beside us. The sign at the mouth of the alley suddenly lost a large portion of its right side. The couple across the street screamed and covered their heads with their hands. A SHOTGUN! A guy moved himself around the corner of the alley and took aim again. Double Barreled, was my only thought as I instinctively lashed out with my foot and hit the bottom of the barrel maybe a second before it went off. Mori screamed. Instead of ripping through both of us, the shot flew into the sky. The barrel had been kicked up at a forty-five degree angle. The recoil of the shotgun ripped the weapon out of the guy's hands as it wasn't being supported by his shoulder anymore. I didn't even wait for my foot to come down before I drove my fist into the side of his head. He stumbled backwards slightly, but caught himself with what was left of the sign.

He whipped a knife out of his pocket then. It looked like a simple steak knife, but I didn't care. It could still cause damage…

"You will die for what you've done to my life you…" He was interrupted by the crunching sound of my right fist going into his nose.

At the same time, I also lashed out with my left hand. As he stumbled backwards from the blow, I grabbed his right wrist and pulled him forwards, kicking his left leg at the same time. As he went forwards hard, I used the momentum and casually tossed him over my shoulder, grabbing the wrist with both hands as I did so. There was a dull snapping noise from his right wrist and the knife dropped out of his hand. I kicked it behind me into the alley with the shotgun. He rolled to try and get up but I sank my foot into his stomach just as he turned around and stepped past him. As he doubled over, I put my right fist into the back of his neck. He collapsed to the ground…

I panted there for a little bit before turning back to Mori, who was pushed up against the building shaking.

"A LITTLE crazy?" I almost shouted in disbelief. A few minutes later the police arrived. I had thought with the amount of witnesses that someone would have called the cops. They gathered the weapons as evidence and questioned Mori and me thoroughly on what happened. I explained the entire fight to the officer as he took notes. He also took our phone numbers in case they needed more information. Every witness there confirmed the same fight, though, so the police didn't have much choice other than to believe us. One of the officers escorted Mori the rest of the way home just to be safe. I was left to my own devices.

Wandering back downtown, I contemplated why bad things always happened to ME… I sighed. At least I helped Mori not get killed today… She seemed to have a knack, just like Kisa, for getting into life or death situations. I shook my head and walked back home.

Once I got back inside my house, I explained what happened to Mother. She was overly shocked that things like this seem attracted to me, but she was happy I was ok. At least there wasn't a scratch on me this time. Surprising really, seeing how the scale of the weapons being used had increased several fold… After taking a shower I decided to lie down on my bed and watch some normal TV. Stupid psychotic people in the world, I thought. Oh well…

* * *

**Study's End**

* * *

Biology was so annoying. Momiji sat on the couch across from me with a large book open, quizzing me. I had finally thought I had over 90 of the answers down, which I would be very happy with. After we were done, Momiji and I wandered back downstairs. I felt really bad still about forgetting about my date with Hiro. I can be so stupid sometimes! 

Momiji followed me out of the compound. I really didn't feel as safe with him as I did with Hiro, but at least he might deter an attacker if they are considering us as prey. Inoue suddenly rushed towards me on the street.

"Kisa! Have you heard?" she shouted as she approached.

"Heard what?" I questioned.

"There was a shooting downtown!" she exclaimed. My eyes widened.

"Really? Was anyone hurt?" I asked.

"Nope! A person that was near the shooter subdued him before he hurt anyone!"

"Subdued him?" I asked, concerned. Is that what they're calling killed now?

"Knocked him out?" she translated.

"Really? Wow… What gun was he using?" I asked out of mild curiosity.

"A shotgun… It would seem that one of the witnesses recognized the intended victim, too…" Inoue added then.

"Do we know them?" I asked, getting slightly nervous… Inoue just started at me for a couple of seconds.

"The intended victim was Mori…" she said finally. I felt my eyes widen and I grew colder.

"Is she alright?" I almost shouted.

"I already said yes… The guy was subdued before he could hurt her…" Inoue explained. Wait a second…

"When you say subdued?" I asked skeptically. Inoue started smiling then.

"The gun was kicked out of his hands before it fired its second shot and the guy was socked in the face. He stumbled backwards and pulled out a knife. His nose was broken then and he was body-slammed, breaking his wrist and effectively disarming him of the knife. He then was kicked in the stomach and knocked out with a blow to the back of the neck…" Inoue explained, followed by, "My mother and father were across the street when it happened…"

"Hiro?" I asked in disbelief. Inoue nodded.

Before I knew what was happening, I was running full tilt towards Hiro's house…

* * *

**Bead Bracelet**

* * *

I had watched TV for maybe a half an hour when I heard the door open downstairs. Who could it be now? Did the cops really need more information than they could get from the dozens of witnesses there? I started wandering downstairs then. As I approached the bottom of the stairs I heard Mother talking to someone. 

"Yes! Yes! He is here, calm down…" my mother spoke.

"But is he hurt at all?" It sounded like a very frantic Kisa…

I turned the corner and entered the dining room. It WAS a very frantic Kisa. She was shaking slightly while trying to talk to my mother.

"Kisa? What are you doing here?" I asked calmly. Kisa turned very quickly to face me and her eyes widened.

She ran towards me a couple of feet and stopped. Her eyes roamed my entire body, seemingly searching for any little scratch.

"I'm not hurt, Kisa," I finally said. She seemed to have come to this conclusion herself and rushed over and hugged me.

"What on earth were you doing walking with Mori up there?" she asked a split second later. I couldn't believe it! Was she actually concerned about me being with Mori again?

"She was scared that her ex-boyfriend was going to try to hurt her, so she asked me to be her bodyguard and escort her to her house," I explained. She loosened considerably in my arms. I continued, "And he didn't try to hurt her. He tried to kill her, so I guess it was a good thing she recruited me then…" Kisa laughed.

"Well, I'm just glad you're ok…" she replied.

"If you're here, does that mean you're done with your studying?" I inquired hopefully. She nodded then.

"I did say I was going to stay the night, didn't I?" she asked. I shrugged.

"That's up to you, but at least an hour would be nice… I do have something to show you."

She tilted her head to the side with a questioning look. "What is it?"

"A surprise…" I tried to sound mysterious. Mother raised an eyebrow.

Kisa shook her head. "If you show me the surprise right now, I will watch Anime the entire night with you… How's that sound?"

"Excellent! Come with me!" I pulled her along behind me and up the stairs.

We entered my room and I crawled onto the bed. Kisa gave me an odd look and watched from the doorway. I found what I was looking for under my pillow and cupped it between my hands. Rotating on the bed I motioned for her to sit down. She slowly walked over to the bed and sat down beside me.

I took my right hand off my left then, revealing the pink and yellow bead bracelet in my palm. Watching her face, I noticed her eyes widen when she saw it. She started to reach down to pick it up but stopped about an inch above it and hesitated. She then looked up at me. I nodded to her. She picked the bracelet gingerly off my palm and started to examine it in her hand. She felt each bead and stretched the bracelet slightly. Then she read the beads.

"Love and Truth?" she asked.

"Yes. The pink represent love and the yellow represent truth," I explained.

"These are made out of real wood…" she commented. I simply nodded. I was suddenly nervous.

"But the beads aren't perfectly round either…" she added. I sighed.

"It's hard to get them perfectly round with a pocket knife…" I explained sadly.

"Wait a second… You carved this yourself?" she thought for a second before continuing, "The cuts on your left hand that day!" I nodded.

"But you said you were making a gift for me?" she asked. I nodded again.

"And so I have," I replied. Did she like it?

She looked back down with slight awe at the bracelet. She then picked it up and slipped it over her left hand. Admiring it on her wrist she started to smile. I was about to smile too when she suddenly collided with me and pushed me into my pillows.

"Thank you, Hiro!" she cried. "You must have put so much work into this!" I felt a kiss land on both of my cheeks then a slightly longer one on my lips. She broke the kiss and admired her left wrist again. I heard a call for supper from downstairs. Kisa was about to get off of me when I suddenly pulled her closer. Seeing her confused look, I smiled. Moving my right arm under her to support her weight and holding her against myself with my left arm, I lifted her off the bed and carried her out of the room.

"Hey!" she said playfully on our way down the stairs. Mother looked at me wearing a questioning expression when I carried Kisa into the dining room and set her down in one of the chairs. When Mother started to bring the food in Kisa held out her left arm while smiling. Mother set the plates down and examined the new accessory on Kisa's arm.

"Hiro gave this to you?" she asked then. Kisa nodded happily.

"Oh yes… I remember he was working on the beads for quite a while… almost eight weeks… Then it took him almost a solid day to carve the symbols onto them. It only took a couple of hours to put the beads on the bracelet though…" Mother recalled.

Kisa's eyes got bigger and bigger as she went on. I just stared at her in disbelief.

"Mother! You didn't have to tell her that!" I exclaimed, still in shock… Kisa was just staring down at the bracelet.

Putting my head down on the table then, I hid myself using my arms. A hand nudged my shoulder though.

"Hiro… You put so much work into this gift! What did I do to deserve something like this?" she asked.

"You've been my friend for so many years now… We've had an excellent friendship… And now it's formed into love... You have been there… You deserve far more than that, but…" I stopped there and lowered my head slightly. Both Kisa and Mother were smiling at me. Kisa leaned forward then.

"I can wait…" she spoke in a quiet voice. I smiled.

We all ate dinner together and Kisa and I headed upstairs afterwards. I plopped down on the bed and Kisa followed me. The Anime lasted until about two thirty in the morning. Kisa was getting bleary eyed by then, so I turned it off. Mother had brought in blankets for Kisa to use before she went to bed an hour and a half ago. I'm pretty sure they stayed on the floor where she had dropped them.

I turned out the lights, closed the door, and walked over to the bed. Kisa scooted over and I crawled under the covers with her. She wrapped her arms around my neck and mine went around her waist.

"Thanks for helping Mori today," Kisa whispered.

"No problem…" I answered simply.

We sat there for a while just enjoying each other's company. Then I noticed she was shaking slightly. I reached down and pulled the blankets up around us. Feeling her smile, I bent down and kissed her forehead. Something was off. Kisa usually didn't bother staying awake this long. The cuddling WAS nice because I don't get to do it very often, but usually it didn't last this long…

"Ok… What's wrong, Kisa?" I finally asked. She looked up at me with a jump. For being sleepy a few seconds ago she certainly was rather touchy now… I reached up and brushed her right cheek. Moisture? She was crying?

"I have a question, Hiro…" she spoke hesitantly. Question?

"What is it, Kisa?" I asked.

"Am I really a good girlfriend? What I mean is, are you happy with me? You had planned out a whole day of private time today and I completely blew it off and studied instead. We don't actually spend that much private time together, now that I think about it…" Her thought process caught me off guard but I quickly recovered.

"Of course I'm happy with you. You are a little forgetful sometimes, but I accept that as you," I explained. "I don't need much private time with you… I can share." She just sighed.

"It just doesn't seem that normal when compared to other relationships. Most couples spend a LOT more time together than we do," she said then. Since when have we had a NORMAL relationship?

"It's far better if you're comfortable with the relationship…" I started to say. Kisa let out a slight growl of frustration. I stopped talking.

"What about YOU! You are so eager to please me that you're sacrificing yourself to do it!" she almost screamed. She was looking at me with sad, pleading eyes. Mine were probably just big. Slowly her eyes matched mine and she moved both hands up to her mouth. I heard running footsteps in the hallway.

Kisa quickly moved off the bed and started trying to make the couch in the dark. Thankfully my bed was almost completely soundless. I helped her make it quickly and rushed back under my covers. The hall light came on under the door and it quickly expanded into my room as the door opened. Kisa sat up from her covers on the couch and I sat up on the bed.

"What on earth is going on in here?" she asked.

"We were having a small discussion and it got a little heated…" I commented.

"Well if you're going to stay up to talk, please try to be a little quieter from now on?" Mother asked before shaking her head and closing the door. I sighed. After a few moments, Kisa came back over and sat down on the bed beside me.

After a few minutes of just staring she spoke again. "Sorry about that. I just get so upset with myself sometimes…" she tried to explain.

"Well don't… I'm perfectly happy with everything so far," I replied. Just a tiny lie, but it would make Kisa happy…

"Well, if you're sure…" she asked hesitantly.

Not waiting for her to answer, I scooped her up, put her against the pillow, and pulled the covers over us. She giggled.

"I guess that's a yes…" she said, still giggling.

We resumed out prior positions and soon slipped away…

* * *

**Chapter 8 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

This was a really cute chapter. Sorry it took so long to post. I've been working on many other projects and haven't had time to write. The Dojo scene still amuses me though.

**Individual Review Responses:**

**Numbah Wierdo:** -is glomped- o-o Uh... thanks. I'm glad you like the story so far! I try to put as much detail into it as possible so expect more of the same! -grins- Thanks for reviewing and keep reading!

**Princess Lady Subaru:** Cookies! O-O -pounces the cookies and starts munching in a nigh frenzy- If you like jealousy though, this story does have a lot of it. Don't worry about not reviewing very quickly though. I'm just happy for the review!

**lightningstrxu:** I intended it that way. -grins- Wait till you get to some of the later scenes! Thanks for the review and glad you liked the story so far!


	9. High School

* * *

**Chapter 9 – High School**

* * *

No matter what I did I couldn't shake that stupid feeling. Every time I thought about it I tried to apply what Haru said but it didn't help much. I was slowly becoming her "Best Friend" again. The only thing that stopped us from actually being just friends was by title only. It had been so long since we had actually kissed that I couldn't remember what it's like! Even a hug every once in a while would be nice. 

A piercing yelp broke my train of thoughts completely. It had come from Kagura… Oops… My hands left her sides then and I stepped back. This wasn't working…

"Hiro! You got distracted again," Yuki scolded. I heard Kyo's laughter from the bed. Kagura had fallen into a sitting position on the bed when I had let go of her. She was rubbing her right foot.

"If you can't focus you're never going to learn how to dance, Hiro," Yuki continued. I just sighed. My mind wandered again.

There was that uneasiness. By allowing her to focus all of her time on her friends and schoolwork, I had no idea if she was still even interested in me. The last thing that I wanted to be was her best friend after what I had already. The only private time I really had with her anymore was when we trained and sparred, and when you spend all your private time with your girlfriend lashing out at each other with punches and kicks, it can be a bit discouraging. I was happy that I had finally gotten her to spar with me, though. She had thought that I wouldn't go easy on her at all. How on earth could I bring myself to physically harm her?

"Hiro?" I heard Kagura say. I snapped out of my daze again and looked up at her.

"It's no use… You're too distracted today. Wanna try this again sometime later?" Yuki added in. He was right. I was WAY too distracted to try to learn dancing.

"Sure. I have a couple weeks still before the first dance," I replied. Yuki nodded and I decided to take my leave.

Wandering downtown I lost myself in thought again. I started high school this year. The problem was that I entered high school already connected to the very popular Kisa Sohma… She had gained a tremendous amount of friends and most of the boys in the school had a crush on her. This I despised, but Kisa had spread around that she had a boyfriend already. This still didn't stop them from talking… Go ahead and try to take her away from me! I would crush anyone who got in the way of Kisa and I, both mentally and physically if I had to. This summer I had progressed up another half a belt level and was half a belt away from black. Only one instructor at the Dojo could beat me. Kyo had kept up with me, though, as both of us were almost fanatical about martial arts. Still, somehow, Yuki was better… I shook my head then. Nobody had really seen me as Hiro but more as Kisa's boyfriend. They didn't want to be friends with me because of who I was…

Snapping out of my daze I had looked around. I found myself in front of the same shop again. Laughing to myself, I walked on. It would be a little bit before I could enter that shop still. I had saved up plenty of money but there were… other problems to deal with first.

"Hiro!" Snapping out of the daze I was just starting to float into, I looked to my right. Kisa, Mori, Inoue, and Ichijo came rushing towards me.

"Hi, Hiro…" Mori said when they came to a stop. She was cooing again but I ignored her. Kisa just stared sideways at her for a couple seconds before turning back to me.

"Hey, Hiro! Where are you off to?" Kisa asked. I hadn't really thought about it…

"Just randomly wandering… and thinking," I returned.

"About what?" she asked playfully.

"Pretty much everything…" I exaggerated. Actually it was just her but in front of her friends I wouldn't admit that. I continued before they said anything else. "Where were you off to?"

"My house! I just got the latest addition of Mogeta!" Kisa replied. I groaned. Kisa just laughed.

"Well have fun watching it…" I replied after she had stopped laughing. Kisa frowned at me.

"You don't want to come? It's been so long since my mother has seen you that she probably doesn't remember what you look like…" Kisa pouted. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing…

"Maybe I will drop by later. Have fun…" I spoke as I started crossing the street.

"What's wrong, Hiro?" Kisa asked, concerned. Oh I don't know. Sacrificing my time so you can have all the friends you have always wanted does drag me down every once in a while. But that was ok… I'm sure it's perfectly natural to feel like violently ripping the nearest object, living or otherwise, in half. I needed a place to vent my frustration but didn't feel like adding more to my damage deposit at the Dojo…

"Nothing," I replied dryly when I reached the other side of the street.

I turned once more to wave as I walked on. Kisa was looking very confused. Mori was biting her bottom lip and Inoue was giving me a questioning look. Ichijo just grimaced…

* * *

**Dojo**

* * *

There wasn't much else to do on this miserable Sunday. I practiced my most complicated moves against the punching bag, hoping to move up to black belt before midterms hit. It was either this or hang out at Kisa's house… with all her friends there. 

After a particularly interesting combination of high and low kicks I took a small break. Lying against the side of the wall I closed my eyes slightly. Maybe she has enough friends now? Would she pay more attention to me now that she almost has a fan club like Yuki? I sighed. I was fifteen now which put Kisa at sixteen. She would graduate a year ahead of me. I had to pull this off before she graduated so that gave me a window of opportunity of two years.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. Stay focused on things at hand! Learning to dance is the biggest concern! I decided to try once more for today and walked towards Shigure's house…

* * *

**The Tiger Lilly Fan Club**

* * *

At least I didn't step on Kagura's feet yesterday… I shook my head as I wandered down the halls of the school. Dancing was harder than I thought it would be. Rhythm and step isn't hard, but watching the other person at the same time can prove difficult. Debating on how all girls seemed to naturally know how to slow-dance, I started climbing the stairs to the third floor. 

Kisa has an annoying fan club like Yuki did. They have a slightly different purpose though. Whoever their current president is constantly tries to win Kisa as their girlfriend. The problem is that Kisa is already spoken for, so they have to get rid of me first. It helps that they have such a rapidly changing command structure due to the fact that EVERYONE loves Kisa… Sometimes they try to win her through sweet talk, which she ignores completely. Other times they try physical force to get rid of me. That usually doesn't work too well either. It's getting to the point where the principal automatically assumes that I was just defending myself… No amount of provoking would ever get me to lash out at them. That would get ME expelled instead of them and that's what they want. Usually they just get impatient and attack me first, I crush them, talk to the principle with dozens of witnesses to say he attacked me first, and he is expelled…

Finally reaching the top of the stairs from the first floor, I calmly walked down the hallway towards my next class. It was really easy for me to get witnesses, though. Even if I actually started the fight, I had an ace up my sleeve. It would seem that I have a trait common to all the Sohma boys. I walked past a large collection of girls and immediately heard hushed whispering. Glancing towards them briefly, they all went silent, turning an interesting color of pink. I gave them a brief smile and continued on. The whispering continued. I don't know what it was, but maybe our curse gave us an aura or something. Who knows?

Halting my walk when I heard numerous sets of rapid footsteps fast approaching, I turned around to glance back in the direction I came. To my surprise I saw Kisa burst through the doors I had just came through, running full tilt. Following closely behind her was a small contingent of boys. I rolled my eyes. Security here was certainly lax… They don't even notice when a young girl is being chased through the halls by a group of boys? So stupid…

Kisa was looking behind her when she exited the doors but she quickly turned around. I was standing directly in the middle of the hallway then and must have been pretty noticeable. Her eyes widened as she redirected herself towards me. I braced for impact as she came sliding into me. Wrapping my arms around her, I rotated her around so I was interposed between her and the boys. There were about five of them, not that I was that concerned. They slid to a halt in front of me and slowly backed up with wide eyes.

"Is there something you want with my girlfriend?" I asked to the group. My icy glare was directed at everyone in general. Kisa was shaking in my arms and had her face buried in my shirt.

"Um… Uh… Not at all, Hiro… We were just leaving…" the lead boy spoke. They all quickly fled in the opposite direction. Haru rushed up from behind me all of a sudden.

"Those jerks again? They weren't any trouble were they, Hiro?" Haru asked. I noted his use of a minor name calling and realized he must have partially shifted 'black'. It was nice to know I would have had backup at least if they had gotten violent…

"No. They were all talk," I replied. I looked down at Kisa then. "You ok, princess?"

She looked back up at me and smiled. "Yes… well, now I am…"

"Well that's good. Ready for math now?" I asked. We BOTH had that class next which would explain why she was running for the third floor…

"Sure…" she said. I dropped my arms but she just slid to the left and kept her right arm around my back. I mimicked her and slid my left arm around hers. We walked the rest of the way like that with her head on my left shoulder…

* * *

**Lessons**

* * *

I was getting better. Both in dancing and martial arts, and if I thought about it, they kind of went together fairly well. Maybe that's why I picked up on dancing so fast once I put my mind to it. Kagura was certainly happier now that I wasn't crushing her toes anymore. She actually started to have fun. I just wished that it was Kisa I was dancing with. Yuki watched from the chair in the corner and applauded when I was done. For once even Kyo was speechless! 

Kagura sat down on the bed with a slight flush to her face. I had picked up the pace considerably towards the end and involved several spins and rapid steps to add flare. Yuki liked my improvisation and nodded at me. I did a low bow then and smiled. Hoping that Kisa would have as much fun as Kagura had, I sat down on the bed too.

"You have improved drastically over the last couple of days. I wasn't expecting improvisation so soon!" Yuki commented.

"Dancing is a lot like Martial Arts. Once you know the basic moves you can chain them together in any way you wish. It's kind of fun, really…" I replied.

"Stumbling upon that little secret so soon, too…" Yuki smiled then.

"Maybe Kyo should try to learn to dance, too…" I teased.

"Why would I want to learn how to DANCE?" he replied in his usual nasty tone.

"It would certainly make Kagura happy…" I replied with a smirk.

"You little brat! Dancing is so stupid and pointless! There is no way that I…" Kyo started to say.

"I think you would look great dancing… especially with me!" Kagura exclaimed all of a sudden.

"Why would I want to dance with YOU!" Kyo shouted several decibels too loudly in my opinion.

"Because you LOVE me!" Kagura yelled back. She was getting angry now. I decided to look for the nearest exit to the room quickly.

"What do you mean, LOVE you? Please…" Kyo retorted.

"Kyo… You make me so… SAD SOMETIMES!" Kagura's voice hit a new octave and she lunged. Kyo gave me one of those 'I hate you…' looks before he was tackled off the side of the bed.

Yuki and I just walked out of the room as Kagura proceeded to maul Kyo on the floor. She got so excited sometimes. Of course, being the boar probably had something to do with her violent mood swings. The Zodiacs were supposed to act like the animals they're possessed by, but most of us didn't. It was a rare event for me to act like a timid sheep… If I truly took the form of the ram it would be more appropriate… Yuki didn't act like a rat, or mouse, in his case, at all. Kyo sometimes acted like a cat, but he had his tender side, too. Usually it only came out when dealing with HER though. I just stored it away as ammo in case I needed it for future arguments.

At the bottom of the stairs, both Yuki and I stopped walking. Shigure's editor was walking by dragging a crying Shigure.

"Yuki! Hiro! Quickly! Show her your awesome martial arts skills!" he called out to us on the way by.

"On you?" I asked in return. Yuki emitted a single laugh.

After Shigure was hauled into his office, we continued walking. As we rounded the corner into the dining room we saw Tohru out in the yard folding clothes.

"Miss Honda! Do you need any assistance with that?" Yuki called out as he walked towards her. I just rolled my eyes. It would be so much easier if he just told her how he felt. It would present problems when Kyo found out about it, but that was unavoidable. It would eventually wear him down if he kept not telling her and… This was sounding way too familiar now, so I gave up the thought process and walked on without Yuki.

Irritated even more with myself, I exited the house via the front door and proceeded up the road. The slight crunching noise gave her away but I pretended not to hear it. She probably knew that I heard it, too, and would yell at me for going easy later, but oh well.

She exited the trees to my left then in a lashing kick. My block was already up, though, and I just moved myself with the force of the blow. Flipping over backwards, I reached out with my right hand and touched down on the dirt. Quickly pushing off with my hand, I flipped once more and landed in a crouch about ten feet away from her. My lunge was almost parallel to the ground and I spun as I went. She dropped to her left knee and blocked with her right leg. I could have hit her with the reprisal but chose not to. The lashing right foot met my deflecting right arm and my left shot out. She caught it and tried to pull me towards her. Expecting this, I grabbed her shoulder and went with the throw, moving her in the opposite direction. This simply reversed our positions.

She struck stance and switched to tiger… she always did like that style. I went with dragon and lunged. Too bad there wasn't a ram style. There probably couldn't have been a bigger difference between our attack forms then. She was all speed and I was all force. Six rapid punches and parries later she decided to lash her foot out at me again. A side kick aimed at my gut. Barely sidestepping, I caught the foot and pulled her towards me. The next part surprised me a little, though. She went with the pull and her other foot left the ground too! If I hadn't let go of the foot and dodged to the right it surely would have connected with my head! I was rather proud of that. Both her hands connected with the ground and she flipped backwards then. Skidding to a halt, she bowed to me. I returned it. Both of us broke out into laughter then…

"I finally got my yellow belt!" Kisa shouted in between laughs.

"Excellent… although it took you long enough…" I added. The words were nasty but the tone was teasing. She giggled. She was getting close to Haru's level now. She could easily advance the next four belts today if she wanted to, but instead she just stubbornly allowed me to be her defender. I glanced up and down her body. She was still wearing her training uniform. She was watching me, though, and turned slightly pink… Oops. Not really fazed by it much, she stepped forwards then and planted a gentle kiss onto my lips. Both of us were smiling when she backed off. This must have been rather amusing to any onlookers. She lunges out of the bushes and attacks me. After we fight for a little while she walks up and kisses me. Oh well.

We both turn and continue walking up the path. "You should really advance faster, though. Otherwise if you decide to fight me every time… when you get your next belt level I will actually be fighting a black belt…" I joked. She started laughing.

"You're not scared, are you?" she teased.

"Of course not… Actually, I'm looking forward to it!" I replied happily.

"Hiro…" she spoke softly. "Thanks."

Wandering back into town, we were fast approaching Kisa's house when we ran into Mori, Inoue, Yoko, and Ichijo.

"Whoa! Kisa is dressed like a martial arts master!" Mori exclaimed when they approached. They seemed to be coming out of Kisa's house…

Kisa flushed in the cheeks. "Well… I'm…" she started to say.

"Quite skilled in martial arts already," I interrupted. Kisa turned red then.

"Hiro! I'm not that good…" she replied.

"Yeah, right… Get some more confidence in your skills, Kisa… You should have seen yourself!" I added excitedly, still proud of her. Somehow, her face got even more scarlet.

"Well, only because of your expert training…" she added. I patted her on the head. She made a weird purring sound at me and I laughed.

"Let's get you out of those training clothes, though…" I told her then.

"What?" she exclaimed as I pushed her towards her house. Oops… Think THEN talk, stupid!

"Um… and into some normal clothes…" I added quickly. This reduced Kisa's blush a little bit… Mori was pouting slightly, Inoue was giggling, and Yoko and Ichijo just looked at each other. They didn't follow us into the house, though, and Kisa and I went upstairs. I sat on the bed looking at the floor as Kisa changed behind me. She only took a couple of minutes and soon arms slipped over my shoulders. I turned my head and smiled at her.

"Where are we off to today?" I asked.

"I hadn't really decided yet…" she responded lazily.

"There isn't a lot to do this time of year…" I replied.

"I know…" she agreed, sounding bored.

"It might be warm enough to go to the beach if you want…" I offered.

"That takes money to get into the official part, though… and I'm kind of lacking at the moment," Kisa replied. I smiled.

"My treat then…" I offered. Kisa's eyes widened as she crawled around to face me on the bed.

"Really? You would pay for all six of us?" she asked in awe. Oops… forgot about the fact that four others were waiting outside. Ouch… The price just went from ten dollars to thirty…

"Um… well I guess…" I said. Couldn't back out now… I was a little upset that she didn't want to go alone with me, but I suppose she would have more fun with her friends there…

Kisa must have realized my thoughts just then because I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Do you want it to be just us?" she asked.

"Nah… I'm sure you will have more fun if everyone comes," I answered.

"That will triple the cost, though… And what about YOUR fun?" she asked.

"Well, Mori is coming along and her constant flirting will be annoying, but I will still have fun if you're there," I explained.

"Hiro… You're too nice sometimes… I will pay you back for all of these things… somehow." She spoke softly and then sighed. The one thing I didn't mention is that I have managed to build up a massive amount of money in my bank account due to proper managing of CDs, continued increments from my allowance, and various odd jobs I did every once in a while. Thirty dollars didn't really faze me much, but why ruin it if she thought it was special?

"Only for you…" I added as I stood up off the bed.

"Thanks for this, Hiro," she said then. I held my left hand out to her. She took it and I helped her off the bed. She didn't let go…

* * *

**Fun in the Sun**

* * *

Kisa and I exited the house holding hands still. It only took the six of us about fifteen minutes to get to the beach. I was almost crying by the time we got there, though. Halfway to the beach we ran into the fork that leads to Shigure's house. It would seem that Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Hatsuharu, Momiji, and Kagura had the same idea as we did. Worse yet, after Momiji found out that I was paying for our entire group he decided that it would be best that I pay for EVERYONE! Kisa tried to tell him off but he had already convinced almost everyone. I walked the rest of the way in sadness. Sixty dollars for one day of fun was definitely pushing it for me. 

We finally arrived without picking up anymore random people into our already large group of twelve. The ticket lady was just watching in slight awe as our large group approached the gate. She counted heads then.

"Um… twelve people brings the price to…" she started.

"Sixty Dollars…" I finished for her. The depression leaked out of my voice… Looking in the glass I saw Kisa's reflection wince slightly. I really hope she will enjoy herself today…

"Um… yes. And you're paying for all of them?" she asked.

I sighed and nodded, pulling out my wallet. I heard Momiji snicker behind me, followed by a loud thudding noise. Glancing behind me I see Momiji crouched down near the ground rubbing his head and Kisa holding her fist out still. Wow… Kisa has gotten bold. Tohru was just gawking at her. Yuki, Kyo, and Haru had their eyes wide.

Turning back around I slide a fifty and a ten under the window. The lady accepted it and pressed a button. The gates slid open and all twelve of us wandered through. The beach wasn't very crowded today and there were plenty of spots open for a group of twelve.

Tohru gets the bright idea to try water volleyball though. I hate the game myself, but to my dismay, Kisa decided to play too. Yoko and I just watched. They break into male and female teams then and suddenly I'm glad I didn't play… I didn't want to be against Kisa!

After I watched the inflated beach ball bounce back and forth for a half an hour or so I was starting to get bored. Luckily my lounge chair had an umbrella so the sun didn't roast me alive. After about ten more minutes, Inoue and Momiji decided to take a break. Inoue started talking with Yoko then. Sadly, Momiji came over and sat beside me. I ignored him and just watched the game. At first I had at least been able to watch the game a little bit. I found my focus drifting though and discovered watching only Kisa was far more amusing. Unfortunately, Momiji noticed my eyes had stopped following the ball and were locked upon Kisa instead.

"Are you enjoying seeing Kisa in a bikini?" he asked in a taunting voice.

"Is there a point to you asking this?" I retorted.

"Yeah… it was a stupid question. Of course you are…" he added. I growled.

"Want some help getting more attention?" he asked.

"I don't need YOUR help," I replied in a nasty voice. He snickered then… Oh no…

"Too bad…" he replied. He suddenly moved his leg back. My eyes shot down in an instant and realized he had just pushed his foot against the release catch for the chair!

"Oh no…" I managed to voice before being flung backwards. I folded up with the umbrella, it being attached to the same mechanism! My lower half was squashed in the folding chair and my upper half was sucked up by the umbrella. I heard Momiji start laughing through the fabric of the umbrella, and I started thrashing. The only thing I could think of was bringing pain to Momiji!

After a little bit of flailing, I managed to get my right eye to one of the spaces between the fabric and the umbrella struts. Growling, I rotated sideways but couldn't free myself from the chair! At least I could still see the game… The ball was just knocked over the net to the boy's side. Kyo knocked it up high and it headed towards the girl's side again. Then I noticed Kisa was looking over in our direction with a confused look. I flailed to the right to get a better view of what she was looking at. Her eyes suddenly widened… Oh. Me…

"Hiro!" She shouted and ran towards my location. The ball landed right where she was and floated there in the water. They all just stared at it. Kisa rushed up to where I was then and I felt her hands trying to lift the umbrella flap. All of a sudden I notice her crawl under the flap and try to pull the support ring down and release the umbrella. I suddenly hear "Oops" from outside. The closing mechanism fired again! A grinding can be heard and the umbrella slams together again. Kisa runs into me… rather hard actually and I loose my air again. Kisa's eyes open then and she looks into mine about an inch away from hers.

"I think I'm stuck…" she says finally. I sigh. All of a sudden we're rotated to the side. I'm technically on my back now with Kisa locked against me. Momiji's plan, as usual, worked perfectly.

"Stop fooling around, Momiji, and release the latch!" I shout.

"I think it's stuck… Or maybe broken…" he returns.

"Yeah right! Just open it!" I shouted.

"Don't worry. I will go get maintenance!" he shouts back. I hear footsteps running off. I sigh. After about thirty seconds or so, Kisa pulls on her right hand a little bit. Her left hand is resting on my chest but her right is down below the umbrella line.

"My hand hurts…" she commented. She started squirming. "I can't get it free…"

My right hand HAD been holding the bar, but now it was wrapped around her back. It was locked in place but my left could reach down. I pushed the flap a little bit and she pulled her hand in. The only damage was a slight red line. She rubbed it.

We laid there for almost ten minutes before Kisa spoke again. "Why do I hear the water volleyball game starting again?" she asked me.

"More than likely we have been forgotten about…" I responded. Kisa groaned.

"My legs are going numb… They're stuck against the chair…" she told me.

"Can you tuck them up over the chair?" I asked. She turned slightly red.

"But then I would be…" she started to say. I just nodded.

"I don't mind if you don't…" I tilted my head slightly when I said this. Yes… technically if she pulled her legs up she would be straddling my stomach, but it was just like when she collided with me after her movies with Haru…

"Well, I guess not…" she said.

"No worse than when you collided with me after the movies…" I said then. She dropped her head onto my chest.

"I said I was sorry!" she exclaimed. I laughed.

"It's ok… I'm just kidding…" I tried to calm her. She started squirming again and shortly I saw a knee appear on each side of me.

"Not that much different, really… well, I can feel my legs again, but besides that…" she said afterwards. I smiled.

After another five minutes or so she set her head down on my chest again and sighed. I moved my left arm around her too. She set her right beside her left on my chest.

"Where is Momiji?" she finally asked.

"If I had to guess, he's playing volleyball again…" I replied.

"Why did he do this?"

"He doesn't think we spend enough time together."

"Do we?" she asked, looking back up at me. I just blinked down at her.

"I thought we did…" I said.

"Hiro… I could count on one hand the number of kisses and hugs I've given you in the last three months… probably together." Well so could I, but I had been avoiding that little fact for quite a while.

"Is there something wrong with that? You've been having fun with your friends…"

"Constantly. I should have fun with YOU, too."

"I can wait if you need me to," I replied.

"You shouldn't have to," she answered, smiling. I blinked. I really couldn't say anything to that. She raised her head up again and looked at me. Not really having to lean forward this time, she placed a gentle kiss on my lips.

"That's one more…" I joked.

"What are we shooting for?" she asked laughing.

"Um… five-hundred!" I replied, laughing. I was really expecting a "Hey!" or her to stick her tongue out.

"Mmm… Ok…" she finally replied. My eyes widened as she moved forward again, closing her eyes…

* * *

**Evening**

* * *

Kisa pulled her face back slightly and licked her lips. Both of us were breathing hard and I could feel her heart beating rapidly. 

"How many was that?" she asked, catching her breath.

"No idea. I lost count a while ago…" I replied smiling.

"Oh drat! I lost count too. Shall we start over, then?" she asked playfully.

"Mmm… I have no complaints." She giggled.

A knock came to the top of the umbrella then.

"You two doing ok in there?" Haru's voice spoke.

"Of course!" Kisa replied happily. I heard a laugh from outside.

"Well, I thought you might be thirsty so I got you a soda," he said then. I resisted asking why he thought we might be thirsty. A hand slid up the side of the umbrella with a can in it.

"Thanks!" I called out.

"No problem! Talk to you later…" was his reply. I wondered what happened to maintenance…

I popped the tab on it with my right hand and took a sip. It did feel good to get something to drink, even if a little dribbled out the side of my mouth.

"Can I have some?" Kisa asked. I smiled and lifted the can to her mouth, amusing myself watching her throat muscles work as she drank. She pushed her finger lightly into my chest then and I took that as the sign to let up.

"Oops… sorry." I heard as I felt something VERY cold hit my upper chest and run down my neck. I sighed. She had dribbled after all.

"It's ok. I will just take a shower tonight to get all the sticky soda off me anyway," I replied.

Catching me entirely unaware, I suddenly felt her tongue slide along my chest following the trail of soda! I gasped suddenly. She continued up my neck and finally stopped at the side where the dribble hit the sand! I looked down at her. She was staring at me blushing.

"There… no more soda," she said quietly.

"You WERE thirsty," I joked. She giggled. Then I noticed she was looking at my mouth.

"What?" I asked.

"You dribbled, too…" she said playfully. Oops. Forgot about that.

This time I wasn't quite as surprised when I felt her tongue start at my ear and slide along my jaw. She hit the corner of my mouth and her tongue flowed smoothly into a kiss almost immediately. She pulled away about ten seconds later and smiled at me. I just stared up at her. Her cheeks went pink again under my gaze.

"Sorry… I shouldn't have," she apologized. I shook my head.

"If I had disagreements, I would have voiced them…" I told her.

"Hiro… thanks. I would hug you if I already hadn't been for the past five hours…" she replied. I laughed. This had actually turned out to be a pretty nice day thanks to Momiji… although I would die before I thanked him!

She set her head down on my chest and closed her eyes. I smiled down at her then. She looked like an angel when she slept. I closed my eyes as well…

* * *

**Night**

* * *

Our eyes flickered open at the same time. She immediately smiled at me. I rubbed her back a little bit and admired her features in the pale light. Pale light? I looked around then. The only light was coming from the large ones overlooking the beach! 

"What time is it?" I asked.

"I don't know…" Kisa replied sleepily.

"I left my watch with my clothes when I changed in the locker room…" I added with a sigh. Kisa's eyes went wide! Uh oh…

"Um… Problem…" she said.

"What?" I inquired.

"I have to use the restroom…" she spoke hesitantly. My turn to widen my eyes. I started banging on the side of the umbrella!

"Let us out now!" I shouted. No response. Complete absence of sound. Not good…

"Where is everyone?" Kisa asked.

"I think its night…" I replied, slightly worried. Kisa's eyes widened again.

"They left us?" she almost yelled.

"Looks like it…" I replied. I glanced over her shoulder and down the umbrella. The lock was still in place but someone pulled the pin to the umbrella latch. I wonder…

"Grab the soda and hold on," I ordered. Kisa nodded.

Managing to bend down slightly, I came within eye level with Kisa's shoulders but couldn't go any further. This would have to do, I thought. Lashing out with both legs the pipe of the umbrella detached from the chair! We slid across the sand about five feet before coming to a stop. Now what? The umbrella is now detached from the locking mechanism so it should be able to be opened with enough force…

"Kisa?" I tried to get her attention.

"Yes?" she asked a little shakily. She must really have to use the restroom!

"This might feel a little weird, but please don't freak out…" I warned her. She nodded.

I now had free movement of my legs so I extended my knees up. Kisa moved her knees up further to give me more room. My knees pushed against the other side of the umbrella. I kept pushing and slowly the umbrella's sides began to push out. I was right! Holding the side open with my knee, I managed to move my right foot up and place it against the side of the umbrella. "Ahh!" Kisa exclaimed as her head was pushed up onto my shoulder. Moving my left foot into place too I pushed with both feet and managed to hold the umbrella open. Kisa suddenly sat up slightly on me!

"I can move again!" she exclaimed happily.

"Can you get out through the opening I've made?" I asked.

"I will try…"

She turned around slowly then and made her way under the bar. She disappeared for a while before I heard her talk again.

"I made it!" she shouted. I saw her start to pull the umbrella apart so I flexed upwards like a bow. Through combined effort we managed to open the umbrella again. It popped open and rolled backwards onto its top, taking me with it! I suddenly found myself on my stomach. I carefully lifted myself off the ground and leaped out of the umbrella.

"We're free!" Kisa said. I looked past her then and pointed to the restroom. She turned around, looked really quick, then looked back at me and nodded before rushing over to it. I followed and entered the other side… Why not?

Back on the beach we looked around. It was completely void of everyone… I sighed.

"What's wrong, Hiro? Let's just go back. We can blame this on Momiji anyway for locking us up…" she replied.

"The only problem is the exit is electronic like the entrance is. There isn't an attendant at the booth to even accept our tickets at night… Plus our clothes containing our tickets are locked up in the locker rooms for the night…" I explained. She went from smiling to looking worried.

I walked back over to the chair and started to put it back together. My legs were a tad stiff from being crushed all evening. I didn't need to be charged for damage of the chair, though, after I paid sixty bucks already to be locked up all day! Although I couldn't complain about my companion… Kisa came over to help with the chair. Finally both of us got it working again and folded it out.

We both walked over to the beach and sat down. After watching the surf for about ten minutes, Kisa looked over at me.

"This was actually kind of a fun day," she spoke. I looked over at her and smiled.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. Not only did I get to cuddle with you for five hours straight, but I also got to play water volleyball for about an hour or so," she replied hopefully. I nodded at her.

Kisa slid over all of a sudden and cuddled into my arms. She was shaking slightly. I realized I did have goose-bumps from the cold wind. With Kisa sitting in my lap, I gazed out across the ocean. The surf sounded lovely and I probably couldn't get much happier. Then the sun started to rise on the horizon? My eyes widened. The sun rose at about eight o'clock this time of year. That's when the beach opens! I gasped.

"What is it, Hiro?" Kisa asked softly.

"Kisa! We can't let the beach attendants see us! The beach will be opening soon, too!" I exclaimed. She hopped off my lap then.

"Where can we go?" she asked.

I looked quickly around and noticed some decorative hedges near the locker rooms! I pointed them out and both of us rushed over to them. Somehow we managed to slide ourselves in-between them and the wall of the locker room! There we waited…

* * *

**Morning**

* * *

After about a half an hour, the beach was sounding quite populated again. Thankfully it was a Saturday and lots of people were here! Kisa and I slid out of the bushes and pretended to step out of the locker room. Thankfully, it was adjoining male and female lockers. Afterwards we walked back down to the beach. Nobody paid us any attention. I looked over at Kisa and smiled. She returned my smile. 

After several hours of sunning ourselves and swimming a little, we wandered back towards the lockers. We had to make it look realistic, didn't we? Both of us were laughing by the time we got to the lockers. We split up into our specific sides and met again in the main room, fully dressed in our clothes from yesterday. Sadly our tickets were dated… I could only hope…

Both Kisa and I headed for the exit. There was a woman on duty there. She was reading, though, and we walked up and handed her our tickets. She didn't even look at us and just dropped them into a huge bin. Both Kisa and I broke out laughing when we got outside again. We had pulled it off! We walked back towards Kisa's house.

"How exactly are we going to explain this one?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know… The truth maybe?" she recommended. I laughed.

"'Hey, Mom! We were locked together on a beach all night completely by ourselves. Don't worry though, we're back now.'" I mimicked what I would say. Kisa laughed.

"You have a point…" she sighed.

Unfortunately we hadn't come up with anything by the time we reached her house, either. How else could we explain being gone ALL night? Every way I looked at it, I saw doom.

"The truth it is, then…" I told Kisa. She nodded and we walked up the walkway.

Opening the door to Kisa's house, I wandered inside with Kisa following. Her mother was making toast for herself in the kitchen. She turned around when she saw us… and smiled?

"Back from Shigure's so soon?" she asked. Shigure's? What?

"Yeah. It's really noisy over there so we couldn't sleep… Kyo and Yuki start early, sadly…" I replied almost instantly. Her mother laughed and turned back around.

"They still don't get along very well, do they?" It wasn't really a question… "Do you want breakfast?" That was…

"Sure…" Kisa said. "I didn't want to bother Sis. She seemed overworked already." Nice one Kisa! Her mother nodded and we headed upstairs.

Both of us sat down on the bed and just gazed deviously at each other. This was possibly the best day I've had in a while! Kisa crawled forward and slid onto my lap. She was in a very cuddling mood today. I wrapped my arms around her stomach and we leaned back onto the pillow, both of us staring up at the ceiling. I was still kind of in system shock. We had just spent the entire night, away from everyone, on the beach. It didn't turn out that bad. Suddenly, graduation didn't really seem that scary. If I knew I was resourceful enough to take care of Kisa and myself completely apart from anyone else's help, it made living on my own sound a lot easier. Of course, I was hoping I wouldn't have to live by MYSELF, not for very long, anyway. I played with the hair of the girl laying on me. The way her hair got longer in the front always amused me. She had said that it grows naturally this way and she never bothers to do anything with it.

Fifteen minutes later we were called down for breakfast. It WAS rather nice to have a home cooked meal after eating at restaurants. Kisa could cook this kind of meal, though, so if we were living together… I shook the thought out of my head. Kisa gave me a questioning look. I just smiled at her and she went back to eating. Somehow, I always managed to finish before her.

Mother was probably getting worried by now, so I decided that I had better get back before she freaked out and reported me as missing. Slowly, I stood up from the dining room table and walked around it towards the door. Kisa stood up almost immediately and started to follow me. I turned around then.

"I'm only heading over to my house. Mother is probably worried about me by now and I don't need her reporting me as missing…" I told her my thoughts. She quickly swallowed the bite she was working on and laughed. It was a little touching how she would just abandon her breakfast to follow me, but she needed to eat.

"Will you come back in a little bit then?" she asked. Usually she goes out with her friends this time of day. This is kind of odd.

"I can if you want…" I replied. She nodded vigorously and I laughed.

"Very well. I shall be back in about a half an hour. Will you be done eating by then?" I asked playfully.

"More than enough time, so I will probably take a shower too," she replied. I nodded and turned around.

Walking back towards my house I wondered whether anyone had bothered to call MY mother…

* * *

**Chapter 9 – End!**

* * *

Author's Note: 

Wow. I haven't posted in a REALLY long time! Sorry for taking so long to post but so much is happening that I didn't have a lot of time to write. My father recently passed away and organizing things is taking up a lot of my time. This was a nice break however so I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

I know. It was a little... weird... and slightly naughty in parts. Still... the dancing scenes were cute and it's hard to beat the mental images of Hiro flopping around in an umbrella. The next chapter will be better, I promise. I'll try to get it up sooner too. Bye for now.

-A.T.

**Individual Review Responses:**

**rbzodiac612:** Yeah... it's probably my rating. It will eventually jump up to the M rating too but as long as I have SOME reviews, I'm happy. Thanks for liking the story though!

**neoswordmaster:** Yeah. You should see my notes on this thing. Complex much. But I'm glad you liked the story so far. It gets better, don't worry.

**Chibi Sakura Blossom:** Wow! Thanks! And thank you again for pointing out the error. It should be fixed now. Sometimes I just get typing and forget to actually spell... heh. As for long... this story will do it. Although I must admit that I am rather curious as to why you're reading my story if you don't like Hiro x Kisa...

**Princess Lady Subaru:** Yeah. You'll see a lot of jealousy in the next few chapters, don't worry. Chapter Eleven is just... scary though. I'll let you wait and read it however. -smirk-

**lightningstrxu:** I know, I know. My editor is extremely slow, ok? At least she finally got this one to me. I'm glad you liked my story however and I'll try to update sooner in the future.


	10. Winter Dance

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Winter Dance**

* * *

Oddly, Kisa has been following me almost constantly for almost two weeks now. Our friends just think it's cute, but I'm at a loss. I want her to spend time with her friends but it's rare if she leaves my side! Finally, I decided to visit our friends myself. Kisa, of course, follows me, so she visits too. I'm at a loss for further words.

The winter dance is coming up and after a few more lessons with Yuki, I'm pretty sure that I have mastered the art of the slow dance. Wondering how good Kisa is at it, I glanced over at her. She wasn't really paying attention to me at the moment, so I stood up. Her head shot around and she looked at me. She started to stand up but I held out my hand.

"Restroom…" I said simply. She smiled and sat back down. Wow…

I came back to the table a couple minutes later and sat down next to Kisa again. We were at our usual café with Inoue, Mori, Yoko, and Ichijo. Slowly sipping my soda, I watched the bubbles float to the surface before popping. Yes, I was kind of bored. The dance was bringing anticipation out in everyone, but there was a void before and after it of entertainment. Plus, I hadn't actually ASKED Kisa if she wanted to go with me yet. I was hoping that I already knew the answer, but I wanted to be on the safe side. I laughed then. All I would have to do is stand up and walk around the side of the building. Kisa would instantly follow me, leaving four bewildered people behind and I could ask her behind the building right now. It would seem that I had laughed out loud, though…

"What's so funny, Hiro?" Inoue asked. I noticed everyone was now looking at me.

"Just an amusing picture that floated through my head a few moments ago, nothing really…" I replied.

"Could it be more amusing than you thrashing around locked in a folding chair and umbrella?" Ichijo asked. Mori and Kisa glared at him then, but I just laughed.

"Probably not…" I replied happily. People teasing today didn't really bother me for some reason. On a normal day, the nearest object to me would have went flying at his head for that comment. It would appear he was expecting it, too, because he was now staring at me with rather large eyes. On examination, I noticed that EVERYONE was staring at me then. I just smiled and laid my head down on my arms. Carefree was my personality today.

I started to think about the dance again. There would be a half day of school that day, which left seven hours before the dance. Setting the goal to maximize Kisa's fun that day, I tried to think of what to do with her in between school and the dance. The water park would be fun again, as long as we didn't repeat the last performance there, anyway. The dance was THIS Wednesday, though, and today was Monday. That left two more days for me to get reservations. Should be plenty of time…

"Hiro? How close are you to black belt now?" I heard Yoko ask. This snapped me out of my daze abruptly. Stupidly, I answered before recovering.

"Two days!" I shouted. Oops… Everyone looked confused at me. I shook my head.

"Sorry… I mean I'm half a belt below black right now," I added before anyone said anything.

"Wow… I'm never going to catch up," Yoko said sadly.

"You should spend more time practicing then," I replied. "You would improve soon enough." Yes, it was a little harsh, but it was the truth. He only nodded.

"What's two days, by the way?" Kisa asked curiously.

"That's easy. Hiro's thinking about the winter dance," Inoue teased. I actually felt a little bit of heat enter my face.

"Do you have a date yet, Kisa?" Mori asked. Oh no… My world collapsed on me again. Kisa's eyes widened.

"Well, I had just assumed that I would be going with Hiro…" she spoke hesitantly, looking over at me.

"Haven't you ever thought about dating anyone OTHER than Hiro?" Mori asked playfully. I felt like screaming that I WAS still in the general listening distance!

"NO! I love Hiro and always will!" Kisa exclaimed. I felt slightly better.

"Wow… such devotion," Mori commented. Suddenly I found myself sympathizing with her old boyfriend and I felt bad that I had beat him up.

Standing up before she asked, I walked towards the opening of the fence.

"Hiro?" Kisa asked, standing up and following me. After about a minute of walking, I rounded a corner and out of sight from her friends, with Kisa still following me.

"What's wrong, Hiro? IS it ok if I go to the dance with you?" Kisa asked. Ignoring her question I turned around and faced her.

"Kisa?" I asked then. She looked confused.

"Um… yes?" she hesitantly asked.

"Will you go to the winter dance with me?" I asked then. Her eyes widened.

"Um… but I just asked…" she started.

"Is that a no, then?" I asked, pretending to be slightly hurt.

"Of course I will go with you!" Kisa exclaimed smiling. "Why did you insist on asking me, though? I had just assumed…"

"I felt like I HAD to…" I replied.

"Oh…" she replied. She leaned forward and kissed me then. I smiled.

We walked back to the others holding hands…

* * *

**Dance**

* * *

The school hallways were a lot more crowded than usual. Almost every ten minutes I noticed a guy asking a girl to the dance. Stupid people waiting until the last minute, I thought. Every once in a while I saw a girl ask, but it wasn't very often. Listening to the slow "patting" of footsteps directly behind me, I stopped to look into our classroom.

Kisa, not looking at me but the decorations in the hallway instead, bumped into my back. Now I know how Tohru felt. It was exceedingly cute to have Kisa follow you around like a chick, bumping into you every once in a while.

"Oops… sorry, Hiro. I wasn't paying attention again," Kisa spoke quietly.

"It's ok, Kisa. I know how Tohru feels now…" I replied, turning around. Kisa laughed.

"I did follow Sis around a lot, didn't I?" she asked. I nodded.

"You still can if you want to. I used to get so jealous sometimes… but not anymore," I explained.

"Why?" Kisa inquired.

"I used to watch you following your 'Sis' and wished that, just once, you would put that much effort and devotion into me. I was always amazed at how she could keep your solid attention for hours at a time and you would follow every word she said to the letter. It was like everything she said had special meaning to you…" I explained further.

"Everything you say is special too," she answered. "Remember when I was younger? There was not a single drop of confidence in my body at all and I DID follow you around everywhere. You were the only person that I could say anything to. You wouldn't get mad at me or tease me about what I said and you would protect me from everyone else who would." I smiled at her and affectionately patted her head.

"Now you don't need to follow me around anymore, though. You have confidence to walk on your own now." I was somehow happy and sad at the same time and now understood how Kisa could do it all the time.

"Yet I follow you around a lot still," she added.

"As to why is still a mystery to me, but I don't mind if you do."

"That's easy! I shifted from needing emotional support to love," she replied happily.

"When DID that happen, by the way? I think I missed the crossover…" I replied playfully.

"I think it happened rather gradually, but I'm still happy that it did!" she answered. Leaning forward, she placed a small kiss on my cheek. I smiled at her and we entered the classroom…

During the entire class, I was thinking about the dance. Kisa was sitting in the desk to my left and looked like she was in a daze. The teacher was simply reviewing old materials, so she probably knew that most of the class wasn't paying attention. I had managed to get a reservation in the same restaurant that Kisa and I had our first date in. She didn't know about it yet, but we would already be dressed up when we left the dance.

Kisa and I left the class at the same time. She was walking happily to my left. I was simply amazed at the amount of time she was spending with me. It was more than a slight system shock. The group of boys was lingering outside the door of the classroom. Kisa slid closer to me and I wrapped my arm around her waist, glaring at the boys as I walked by. All they did was watch.

Hatsuharu and Momiji caught up with us as we arrived on the bottom floor.

"Guarding her against the boys again?" Momiji asked. I snorted.

"It would be rather amusing when she body-slammed them when they tried to grab her, but I can't bring myself to let them get that close…" I joked. Kisa laughed then. Momiji was quite surprised when I DIDN'T try to kill him after the beach 'accident.' Why would I bother? That was one of the best days I've had in a while. The four of us were quickly joined by Inoue, Mori, and Ichijo. All seven of us walked down to the middle school to pick up Yoko, and then we headed over to the water park. Pretty much our entire group had known about my plans yesterday, so we all had our swimsuits in our backpacks.

Quickly getting changed, I rushed out into the pool area. Kisa was just stepping out of the changing room in that cute yellow bikini of hers. I sighed. Mori was following her in her usual pink bikini. Inoue took slightly longer, but finally emerged wearing her one-piece. By the time Inoue came out, Momiji had already put on his green swimming trunks and was standing beside Kisa and me. I was wearing a gray pair today with black lining. Haru came out wearing a solid black pair. For such a nice guy, he certainly wore a lot of black. Just don't make him mad or his personality will change to fit his clothes! Ichijo was wearing his camouflaged pair again and Yoko, who could join us this time, was wearing a bright red pair.

We all walked towards the pool area as one group. I was watching the pool again. The large one was deserted completely. There were mostly small children at the park today and they weren't allowed to use the big pool. It was probably a good idea as it would be VERY easy to drown in it. Our entire group knew how to swim, however, so there was little risk. If only Kisa would get up enough guts to try the diving board. It was so fun! I floated the thought around in my head for a little bit. Hmm… Almost thirty feet from here to the diving board, the board itself was five feet long, which I could clear. Heh… This would probably be rather foolish, but if it worked out it would be rather fun.

"Kisa?" I said, turning to her and holding out my right hand.

"Hmm?" she asked as she turned towards me. Then she looked down at my hand and casually took it in her left. The trap was sprung… My hand clenched down on hers all of a sudden. Her eyes widened, but it was too late.

I heard a "Hey!" from Kisa as I broke into a run. She was pulled along with me, but managed to start running. When she noticed where my destination was, she started to pull back. I smiled and slid onto the board. The bending of the board sent her with me. She collided with me on the board. Wrapping my arms around her quickly, I leapt. The board sent us both spiraling into the air! Her arms constricted violently around my waist then as she let out a slight yelp. For a few brief moments, we were airborne, and I went spread eagle. Kisa never let go of my waist, though. As we neared the water, I tucked my head down. Kisa closed her eyes. We slipped into the water with barely a splash! Diving to the bottom of the pool, I 'lied' down. Kisa just shook her head at me under water. I reached up and pulled her down on me. Kissing underwater is a very amusing experience. After about twenty seconds or so, our air was running low, so we floated back up and broke through the surface. Kisa was a little pink in the cheeks but smiling at me. I glanced back over at our group. Inoue and Mori were staring in awe at me. Haru was just smiling and nodding at me. Momiji and Yoko had broken into laughter probably quite a while ago. Ichijo was just looking at us sadly. He was being his usual lecherous self, probably wishing that he was in my position.

Slowly swimming towards the ladder, Kisa just lied on my back and let me do the work. Grabbing the ladder, I climbed out of the pool with her still on my back. Reaching behind me, I put my arms under her and supported her against me. This was the first time I had given Kisa a piggyback ride. She just wrapped her arms around and over my shoulders and held on. I walked around the pool to our group. Kisa's head rested on my shoulders then.

"That was amazing, Hiro!" she said.

"I told you to try it…" I commented.

"Yeah… I just need a bit of a push every once in a while," she replied. I laughed. She looked over at the big slide again.

"Wanna try the slide again?" I asked. She nodded against my shoulder.

I walked over to the slide and crouched down. Kisa gingerly stepped off my back and walked towards the ladder. Walking back towards our group, I noticed that Momiji had gotten impatient and was already leaping into the pool. Haru was floating on his back in the pool, looking like he was asleep. Mori and Inoue walked up to me.

"Let's hope a repeat of last time doesn't happen…" Inoue joked. I laughed.

"What did you two do under the water, Hiro?" Ichijo asked all of a sudden. I just stared at him. Didn't he ever give up?

"Did you two kiss? What was it like?" It would seem he didn't… I just raised an eyebrow to him. Mori, who was to his left, rolled her eyes.

"Come on! You can tell me!" he continued. Why did I suddenly feel like flinging him into the pool? Mori was starting to shake.

"Do you ever stop?" she shouted. It was almost like she was reading my mind…

"Um… well, I just wanted to know… No real harm in asking," he replied timidly.

"Fine! You want to know?" she shouted. Stepping into him she pressed her entire mouth over his. I watched in shock as his eyes widened tremendously and she wrapped her arms, kind of violently, around him… His entire face went a bright scarlet and his eyes glazed over slightly. She broke the kiss after about ten seconds and he was just staring, almost through her.

"There! Now will you shut up!" she shouted at him. If he responded, it was with a drool.

Letting out a low growl, she hauled him over to the pool and casually tossed him in. Turning around then, she noticed that both Inoue and I were just staring in shock at her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

I just shook my head and went to get a better view of Kisa. That's when I noticed him. The SAME brat that was here the last time was halfway up the ladder! I felt like ripping him off it and breaking his face! Maybe he would be different today, though. I tried telling myself this, but got under the platform just in case…

Just as I expected he started pushing his way to the front. He finally made it to Kisa and shoved her shoulder again. I prepared to catch her but wasn't quite expecting the results. Kisa lashed out with both hands, grabbing his arm. Ripping him forward, she put him face first into the slide! I heard his screams all the way down the slide and couldn't stop myself from laughing. He almost skipped off the water on his face! After he resurfaced, gasping for air, he broke into tears. It looked truly pathetic as he ran crying out of the park… I just shook my head and looked up at Kisa. She was smiling down at me, so I gave her the thumbs up. She laughed then before turning around and going down the slide…

A half an hour later I was laying in the shade of a mounted umbrella on one of the lounge chairs. This wasn't one of the fancy mechanical ones, so I felt relatively safe. I was trying to rest before the dance so I could store up my energy. Suddenly, I felt the chair start to move, and I was alert almost instantly, ready to spring away from it.

"Don't worry silly, it's not going to attack you this time," I heard Kisa say. I smiled up at her as she lay down on the chair too.

"Decided to take a break?" I asked. She nodded.

Extending her left arm and leg across me, she pulled herself closer. I turned sideways to face her then and wrap my arms around her, too. She smiled at me and put her head against my chest. We must have fallen asleep, because suddenly I was on that hill again! It was a starry night just like then, too. Kisa walked up to me.

"Interesting backdrop… We will have to visit it tonight after the dance," she said. I smiled at her. We were still in our swimwear. My clothes shifted into the ones I was wearing that day. Without taking her eyes off me, her bikini shifted into that beautiful flowing yellow dress. She lay down beside me in the grass and proceeded to cuddle again. We stared up at the night sky until we heard voices.

"Hey, lovebirds! It's almost time for the dance!" we heard. It sounded like Inoue. Both of us sat up. The dream burned away from us and we were in our swimwear again.

"What time is it?" I asked then, without thinking anything about it.

"I thought you were still asleep when I said that! Wow!" Inoue exclaimed. Oops… we HAD been asleep.

"Nah. Only resting," I covered.

"Well, it's six o'clock. We should head back and get ready now," she said.

We quickly changed and headed over to Kisa's place. I could fit all of my things in one backpack, but Kisa, being a female I guess, had all types of things she needed to do before she was ready. Kisa's mother had allowed me to get ready at her house, thankfully. We were supposed to meet the others in front of the school at seven forty-five. I was already fully dressed by the time Kisa came down the stairs. She was wearing my dress again AND my necklace. Surprisingly, she didn't take the beads off her left hand, though? Lovely yellow ribbons were laced to each side of her head. She looked beautiful! After considering for a little bit, I decided that I always thought Kisa looked beautiful… Again, she didn't wear any make-up, but didn't really have to. Feeling very courtly, I escorted Kisa to the door and opened it for her. Kisa's mother gave me a large smile before waving to us. We walked the entire way with her arm casually hooked to mine, talking about random subjects that came to mind.

It was almost ten to seven by the time we got there. Everyone was waiting for us outside the doors. We entered as a group and paid for the tickets. Thankfully, I only had Kisa and myself to worry about this time. Our group hung towards the back, munching on the snacks for the first half an hour or so. I kind of felt sorry for Haru and Momiji. They didn't have anyone to dance with this year. Haru had taken one dance with Kisa last year, but stepped on her foot. She refused to dance for the rest of the night. This time, though, she was all mine, and I made a mental note to let her enjoy herself as much as possible. After we enjoyed the atmosphere for a little bit, a rather slow song started. Kisa almost squealed. I glanced over at her to make sure she was alright. She rushed towards me though and grabbed my hand.

"I love this song! Can we please dance to it?" she pleaded. Showtime, I guess.

Putting on my biggest smile, I replied, "Of course! That's why were here, isn't it?"

"Oh thank you, Hiro!" she exclaimed as we rushed off towards the dance floor. I don't think that Haru or Momiji knew that I had taken lessons, so this might be a surprise. We reached the approximate center of the right side, giving our group in the back an excellent view. Perfect… Eat your heart out, Haru! I was a little nervous, but also really excited. Kisa spun to gaze at me again, smiling.

We moved together then, but started slowly. Flowing smoothly to the right, I made sure to keep the spacing with her feet. Kisa was wearing the sweetest smile I had ever seen. She swirled all of a sudden as if to test me. I went with her though and twirled her in place. Her eyes were slightly wider when she came out of it. HA! We moved to the left again and repeated the patterns to the beat of the music. After a couple of minutes, Kisa started to laugh slightly. I was glad she was enjoying herself.

After about five minutes, Kisa was breathing a little bit harder but smiling at me happily. The song had ended and I had kept up with her perfectly! All of a sudden, a much faster song started! Kisa's eyes widened slightly.

"Um… we can go back and sit down now…" she spoke hesitantly. I gave her a questioning look.

"But we just got here…" I told her. She turned slightly pink before leaning into the side of my head, near my ear.

"Hiro… I don't know how to dance to this type of music…" My eyes widened in surprise, but I kept smiling.

"Then just go with the rhythm…" I explained.

"Hiro!" she pouted.

"Well fine… I will remember this the next time one of your songs comes up," I replied, teasing. Her eyes widened.

"Um… well, I will try, I guess…" She sighed.

For a while, she just watched my movements. I just cut loose and went with the rhythm of the music. I could see Momiji over Kisa's shoulders start to laugh and point out Kisa to Haru. Haru batted him on the side of the head and he shut up. Soon Kisa started to mimic my movements. After only a couple of minutes, she was starting to laugh. Fast music was rather fun, but it was nice to have the regal feeling of slow music every once and a while. Soon, she was matching me move for move on her own and started to close her eyes to lose herself in the beat. I followed, but never lost the feeling of her presence in front of me. After about four minutes, that song came to a stop too. Kisa collapsed against me laughing.

Almost immediately afterwards a waltz started? It was a request, apparently… A few groans sounded from around me and we lost about 50 of the dancing population. A few brave souls decided to cut loose and try to dance to the waltz. Kisa started to pull away but I pulled her closer instead.

"Oh no… We aren't going to try this, are we?" she groaned. I just smiled down at her. She sighed and turned slightly red. "There are so many people watching now…" she whined, but I had already moved closer to the center of the group.

Kisa's left hand locked with my right. Our excess arms wrapped around each other. I gave her a confident smile before leading. After a minute of slowly following the beat, Kisa seemed to pick up on the rhythm, which was a good thing because things were about to speed up. Adding a quick twirl instead of a simple reversal, I sped up considerably. Kisa's eyes widened as the music picked up the pace too. Luckily, she kept up with me, so I poured on the flair. Soon we were spinning and rotating across a rather large pattern. Kisa lost herself again in the rhythm and music, laughing happily as I led her on. As we rotated, I noticed that some of the couples had stopped dancing and were just watching us in awe. When they shifted into my view, I noticed Momiji just gawking at us. Haru was wearing the biggest smile I had seen in a while! I didn't care about anything else, though. The only thing I really cared about was the girl clinging to me and laughing. Kisa looked so happy! Everything suddenly hit me at once. We were in a large circle of couples watching us. Kisa was oblivious to them as she laughed and danced… with me! This crushing feeling washed over me. Had I finally become her prince? She certainly looked like a princess… The room dimmed in my eyes and the only source of light seemed to be Kisa. The crowd disappeared from my vision and it was just Kisa and I dancing through the darkness to music that came from everywhere. Was I hallucinating? I could almost see the flower petals floating around us. For the first time ever… I felt like a prince!

Eventually the song came to an end, and Kisa just flowed into me and planted a tender kiss to my lips. Clapping erupted from all around us all of a sudden. Kisa snapped out of her daze almost instantly and looked around. We were surrounded by a circle of clapping couples. Kisa looked back at me. Her face was bright scarlet. All I could do was smile at her. Yes, Kisa. Everyone likes you now… No more teasing, no more angry words directed at you, just applause and admiration of your unearthly grace and beauty. With help, I have finally managed to reveal your true form and am now blinded in its glory. There isn't any reason for you to be shy anymore. I spoke to her with my eyes instead of my lips. For a while we just gazed into each other's eyes.

"Can we take a break now?" she asked finally. She was still blushing a little bit. I nodded and we returned to Haru and Momiji. I started to sit down in my seat, but Kisa didn't let go of me? I just stared at her for a little bit. She seemed to be lost in thought. She was still breathing heavily, though. I thought she was in better shape than this… Maybe all those kids clapping wasn't the greatest for her. I noted that the color STILL hadn't left her cheeks. Was she ok? Haru came over then and looked down at her with a slight frown. Moving my hand forward I brushed her right cheek. It was like electricity shot though her all of a sudden. She did a little startled jump then. Her eyes came back into focus and she looked back up at me. Her cheeks flushed even more than they had a couple seconds ago, and she stepped back away from me slightly.

"Are you ok, Kisa?" I asked, more than a little concerned.

"Um… sorry. I was distracted…" she apologized quietly, looking away from me.

"It's ok. I was just worried about you," I explained. She smiled, but still didn't look at me. I gave up and sat down in my chair. She took the one beside me then. I hope she isn't angry at me…

After about a half an hour of watching everyone else, I glanced at my watch. Eight-thirty… only a half an hour until my reservations, sadly. I looked over at Kisa, but she was talking with Inoue. I sighed and attempted to glance back at the dancing. My view was interrupted by Momiji's face… I just stared at him. He stared back from about four inches away.

"Do you want something, Momiji?" I asked impatiently. Kisa heard me say Momiji's name and turned to see what was happening.

"You're acting slightly strange. You have something planned, don't you?" he asked then. Kisa gave me a questioning look. Curse him!

"So what if I do?" I asked curiously.

"I was just wondering, really. People acting strange near me draws my attention, that's all," he explained.

"You CAUSE them to act strange, though…" I retorted… He pouted.

"Ask a simple question and I get attacked…" He pouts as he walks off.

"What do you have planned?" Kisa asked almost immediately. Inoue watches intently…

"Are you hungry, Kisa?" I asked then.

"Well, the snacks aren't very filling so yeah," she responds. I smile.

"Want to go get something to eat, then?" I asked.

"Um… sure!" she replies.

We both get up and walk towards the exit of the gym. I open the door for her again and escort her towards the main exit of the school. Someone walks up to us with his hand outstretched?

"Excuse me, but please head back inside. If you leave now, we have no way of knowing if you have paid or not if you decide to return. We aren't allowing anyone to leave until ten," he warns. Kisa looks up at me from my arm.

Thinking as fast as I can, I smile at him then… "Oh please… don't be so stupid." I glance down at Kisa with a slightly wicked grin. "Do you really think that I would want to come back to this boring dance when I have her?" I taunted to him. I pulled her forward then and planted, what I hoped looked like, a very hungry kiss onto her lips. Pretending to take a break for air, I whispered, "Go with it…" before moving in again with another kiss. Kisa started giggling into the kiss then and added a slight moan. Nice…

"Uhg… Just go get a room!" he looked away then. I laughed.

"Will do!" I shouted to him as we left the building. Did that actually work?

We walked outside then. The sun was just slipping below the horizon. Glancing over at Kisa, I noticed she had turned pink again and was smiling at me.

"That worked surprisingly well…" she commented quietly.

"Sorry about that, but it was all I could think of in such short notice. Didn't really think they would try to stop us at the door. He probably gets that all the time anyway…"

"Mmm… it's ok! I didn't mind," she replied. My eyes widened slightly. I decided to continue onward before the heat came to my cheeks.

* * *

**Interrogation**

* * *

We walked downtown towards the same restaurant. Kisa recognized it and glanced over at me.

"This place seems familiar…" she added slyly. I smiled.

"It should…" I replied.

We entered through the main doors and I approached the podium. The same guy was working tonight! He turned then and smiled.

"Mr. Sohma wishes to try again?" he asks. I smile and nod.

"Hmm… you do have a reservation. Shall we try not to be hit by a truck after this date?" he asks, laughing.

"You found out about that?" I inquired.

"Oh yes. You saved her by leaping in front of the truck and pushing her out of the way. Our delivery men discovered this from your mother when they dropped the cake off," he explained.

"Figures…" I commented.

"Please follow me, Mr. Sohma," he continues.

Kisa and I follow him in and sit down at the designated table. Kisa is a lot calmer tonight than she was when we first came here. She is actually smiling happily and looking out the window. Then she turns to me again.

"That was a quick bit of thinking back there, Hiro… If it had been up to me, we would still be there in the gym…" she congratulated. Why was she bringing this embarrassing subject up again?

"Well, I debated, but nothing seemed realistic. Then I thought of that and decided that it would look the most real…" I explained.

"You have a point. At least we really didn't have to act…" she commented. I'm so glad I was sitting down. My eyes must have extended by several times because she started to blush. "I meant that we were already a couple…" she said rather quickly.

"Yeah, I know what you meant. It just sounded interesting," I replied.

"Interesting?" she inquired. My turn to blush. Kisa laughed. Then she seemed to think for a while. Waiting for my face to return to normal, I just watched her. She was stirring her water with her finger, which meant she was almost completely lost in thought. I just waited for her to snap out of it. There wasn't really a point to interrupting her thinking if it didn't involve anything important I could add to it. I looked down at the designs on the place mat instead.

"Um… Hiro?" she finally asked hesitantly. Her thought process must have led her up to something she thought I could answer for her…

"Yes, Kisa?" I asked politely.

"Um… Do you remember what you told me when we got out of the school?" she asked. Why did she keep going back to that moment? Did it bother her that much?

"I remember I apologized profusely to you," I replied. That's really all that I remember saying.

"I specifically remember that you said, 'He probably gets that all the time anyway…' and it bugged me," she explained. Why on earth did that bug her?

"Why?" I inquired. Kisa went slightly pink.

"Well, I was curious as to how often it happens. Is it really that normal?" she asked. I was getting a bad feeling.

"Um… well, it probably happens more often than you would think. I was just assuming though," I tried to answer. Where was the waitress when I needed her? I sighed.

"Is it normal though?" she asked. I wanted to scream "Why!" at the top of my lungs, but resisted.

"Fairly normal, I guess…"

She seemed to go back to thinking again so I just let her. At least she wasn't asking any more embarrassing questions. The waitress finally came and we ordered. I just sat there. Kisa was still lost in thought which left me nothing to do. At least my tea was here so I had something to drink besides water. I was so bored! Why did Kisa pick today to ponder tons of questions to herself? It would be so nice to just TALK with her like I usually do. Why was she even asking me these questions?

"Um… Hiro?" I heard her say again. Oh no…

"Yes…?" I asked, a tad of impatience leaking into my voice.

"Did you actually see other couples leaving the party?" she asked. Well that wasn't that bad of a question.

"Yeah. I was watching them as you were talking to Inoue," I replied.

"Um… Did they come back?" Most of them didn't.

"Some did, but not many," I replied.

"Could you tell what grade that they were in?" she asked then. What?

"Well. It's a little hard to tell when nobody's in uniform, but they were fairly mixed," I replied. This was a rather one-sided conversation…

"Could you tell if any were freshman?"

"There were a few that I knew were freshman. The rest I couldn't really tell."

"Really?" she asked then. I picked up disbelief in that question.

"Yeah. They were in some of my classes…"

At this point she goes back to pondering. Again I resist screaming out "Why!" at the top of my lungs. She just sits there staring at her water again. I sigh. This was possibly the worst time I have had with Kisa for a while, possibly ever. I started scratching at the place mat, seeing how many lines I could make in it. The noise seemed to snap Kisa out of her daze and she just watched my finger for a little bit.

"Hiro, are you bored?" she asked.

"No! Not at all…" I replied way too quickly. She frowned.

"I'm sorry that I'm not really talking much… I just got lost in thought," she explained.

"I had noticed. There wasn't a point to me bugging you, though, so I just found other things to distract myself with…" I replied truthfully.

"Sorry…"

"Not a problem, really… The only thing that's kind of bugging me is… oh never mind." There was no point to knowing what she was thinking.

"You can tell me…" she replied softly. Oh fine…

"Was there a point to all of these questions?" I asked. There, I asked it! Her eyes widened slightly and she turned pink again.

"Well… I don't have a lot of experience with being in a relationship, so I was looking to compare, really…" she replied hesitantly. She wanted to COMPARE! My insides grew really cold all of a sudden and my face grew really hot… I almost didn't realize she was still talking… "…so if I looked at other people, I thought that I might know what to do better," she finished explaining. I almost wish I hadn't realized she was still talking. Light-headed was a little bit of an understatement of my current condition.

"So you want to compare our relationship with that of the other high school students?" I asked in disbelief.

"Well… yeah… Then when you said that it was kind of normal, I thought that maybe I wasn't moving fast enough for you and…" she started to explain. No… Light-headed was definitely not a good word for it any more… Dizzy now, and probably starting to bleed again. "…but I was going to ask some of my friends tomorrow in school for their opinions so that I can…" Ask her friends? NO! Wobbly! Head hurts all of a sudden… "…but then it's ultimately up to you, I guess. I was going to wait until…"

WHAM! My head hit the table rather forcefully. Kisa stopped talking then. I had spaced out so much I probably missed most of what she had said anyway.

"Um… Are you ok, Hiro?" she asked. Not bothering to respond, I just decided to sit here for a while.

"Hiro?" she asked more forcefully. She would start panicking in a little bit. Better do something. I looked up at her then.

"Can I ask you a favor?" I asked all of a sudden.

"Um… sure," she said hesitantly.

"Please don't compare our relationship with anyone else's… We are moving at a speed that is comfortable for you, I assume?" I asked.

"Um… Yeah, I'm pretty comfortable with it at the moment. But what about you?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Not important. You being comfortable with it is my priority too, so thus, I'm comfortable with it as well," I explained.

"That's hardly fair to you, Hiro…" she commented. I just shrugged. Thankfully our food came at the moment.

Both of us took about a half an hour to eat. Afterwards, I was pleasantly full and leaning back in my chair, not really desiring to move quite yet.

"Any surprises today?" she asked playfully. I just shook my head. Today I didn't bother to order a cake. I was still trying to cover the cost of the beach.

We sat there for a little bit when I noticed the kitchen door open again. The head chef came out rolling a platter again with two other assistants. What was going on? Kisa watched them roll the platter up to us then and just glared at me!

"Hiro! You said you didn't have any surprises today!" she exclaimed. I just looked confused at her until she mimicked my expression.

"Not his doing today, miss. After we had heard what happened after your last date, we felt really bad, so we decided to make something special!" the head chef stated. He reached behind him and lifted the top off the silver platter. A large, pink cake was inside.

"A single layer chocolate cake with strawberry frosting! On the house!" he exclaimed.

"Wow! Thanks!" Kisa said. I just blinked at it.

"Well, I thank you, but you didn't have to go to all this trouble…" I started to say.

"Well, we wanted to make up for your last time here! We will get you a case to bring it home in!" They walked back into the kitchen. Kisa just looked over at me.

"Well, that was certainly nice of them."

"Now I feel obligated to pay them for it, though."

"But they said you didn't have to…"

"I don't like to owe anything to anyone," I replied.

"Sometimes it's rather nice… Like I owe you my life several fold…" she added. I looked over at her all of a sudden, but she was looking down at the table.

"You don't owe me anything, Kisa…"

"Why not?"

"Because you've already given me so much more."

She looked confused by this. "What?" I just smiled.

"Your friendship, time, love… My life would be a very unhappy place right now if you weren't in it."

"Hiro… Those are so natural feeling… and so easy to give. I still feel like I owe you," she replied sadly. What? You want something that ONLY I will enjoy? Is that possible?

"Well, even if you do feel like you owe me, I'm not asking for anything anyway," I commented.

"Hiro… You NEVER ask for anything," she added sadly. Point…

"That's because you have already given me everything I need." Well, almost, anyway.

"Hiro…" she started, but was silent.

The head chef came back out with a plastic tray and cover. His assistants helped him get the cake onto the tray and they covered it.

"There! Can you get it home ok?" he asked then. I nodded. The waitress came back up and slipped me my remainder. Kisa frowned.

We stood up and headed towards the door. Kisa opened it for me this time because I was carrying the cake out. We walked most of the way home in silence. When we got back to her mother's place, she was waiting in the entry way and greeted us when we came in. It was only ten o'clock, though.

"Another cake! Hiro… you're going to spoil her!" Aunty joked. She put it in the fridge anyway.

"Can I just get changed here?" I asked.

"Certainly!" she said before turning around and walking back into the living room. Kisa and I went upstairs. Kisa walked into the bathroom with her clothes then and I just used Kisa's room. Changing my pants first I quickly switched back over to my normal clothes. Dressing up is nice sometimes, but normal clothes were FAR more comfortable! After I was changed, I crammed my dress clothes back into my backpack and lay down on Kisa's bed. I sighed then. Kisa can be so silly sometimes. She doesn't owe me anything!

Kisa wandered back after a few more minutes and just stopped and looked at me. She sighed and wandered over to the bed and lay down on it as well. We just watched each other for a long time. After a few moments, I realize that her eyes are getting watery.

"What's wrong, Kisa?" I asked gently.

"I don't deserve you, Hiro…" she said at last. This was kind of shocking to me.

"Why is that?" I asked hesitantly.

"You have done so much for me… and I don't really treat you the way you deserve to be treated…" she replied quietly.

"I'm happy with the way you're treating me."

"Of course you would never say anything to me. You're too nice to me, Hiro. You've saved my life twice now and overall, my very existence. If you hadn't entered my life I would probably have been driven permanently mute from teasing by now. I would be a pathetic empty shell," she explains.

"Kisa… I don't like to hear you talk like this. I love you so you DO deserve me," I tried to tell her.

"Hiro…" she replied softly.

I reached out and put my left hand on her right cheek. She smiled at me. Leaning forward, I kissed her on the forehead.

"I should probably be heading home, princess. I hope you had fun today…" I finally said. She nodded.

"I had great fun today, Hiro! But you were far too nice to me… Do you have to leave so soon?" she asked.

"Mother is probably worried by now, so I had better…" I replied. She pouted.

"See you later, princess," I spoke as I walked towards her bedroom door.

"See you tomorrow… my prince," she spoke softly. I stopped, smiled, and then kept walking. I'm Kisa's prince now? I like that…

* * *

**Chapter 10 – End!**

* * *

Author's Note: 

Mmm... fluff as usual. I guess it will make up for the horrible and gruesome chapter eleven. Just as a warning.-wink- Hope everyone enjoyed the rather cute ending anyway... not to mention Hiro's... creative way of getting out of the dance. Thank you for all of the reviews so far, however! I'm doing a lot better now for those who expressed concern. Thanks. 

As a side note, I have started another writing project. It won't be posted online however due to the fact that it's an original writing. Maybe I'll get brave and actually publish it if it's good enough. -whimpers slightly- It's taking a lot of my time as well so I'm not devoting AS much to this story. For anyone that's interested, it's Fantasy/Mecha. Feel free to inquire to my email and I'll send you a couple chapters if you're interested. Talk to you all later. 

-A.T. 

**Individual Review Responses:**

**Daolon: **Ha! You had me worried for a second there! My first thought was, "OH NO! A Flame!" Don't scary me like that. -sticks tongue out- Well I'll try to update faster. Was this fast enough for your liking? -chuckles-

**GLeo-Genesis:** . . . Oops... Maybe I should put up some kind of spoiler warning? Heh... Terribly sorry if it ruined anything for you but yeah... they don't exactly reveal that until... Volume 15 if I recall. I apologize again. Thanks for liking the story however. It's mostly in Hiro's point of view anyway so you shouldn't have to worry. I've got to show Kisa's side every once in a while however. -winks-

**Princess Lady Subaru:** HA! I bet Hiro doesn't think it was too 'cute' at the time. Well... Momiji means well I guess. Honestly though, I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote the licking scene. It was MOSTLY done out of pure innocents... really! Thanks for liking the chapter though and reviewing repeatedly. I'm glad you finally got your review problem fixed. Talk to you later.

**Syckitty:** Thanks! It's great to have new reviewers for the story. Keep up the reading!

**rbzodiac612:** -chuckles- Really squealed? Well thanks for being understanding anyway. I'm doing a lot better now and the writing is actually keeping my mind off it. The romance will continue strongly of course but the next chapter or so is a little gory. Just a warning. Thanks for reviewing, Astrea!

**lightningstrxu:** Heh. They won't do anything TOO naughty... yet. -hides from the angry mob- I'm not big into writing the hardcore M and MA type scenes. Thanks for liking the story though and please review again!


	11. Confrontation

* * *

**Reminder**

* * *

Just as a little reminder since I hadn't said anything in a while, I wish I owned Fruits Basket... but I don't! -cries- Of course... there'd be a lot more focus on Hiro and Kisa in the manga. Heh.

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Confrontation**

* * *

Things seemed to slowly get back to normal and started to move quickly again. Midterms came and went. I got high scores on almost all of my subjects. Slowly, Kisa started to get back into her normal routine and soon she felt like my best friend again. I didn't mind as much this time. Instead, I focused all of my frustration into training for martial arts. I guess it was inevitable, but I took my final belt test. I guess it's rather unusual to have a sixteen year old black belt, but oh well. The test was insane, but Kisa managed to clear a timeslot in her schedule long enough to cheer me on, anyway. I was sore for almost a week afterwards, but I was a black belt! The highest degree of martial arts had been obtained, and I was proud. 

These days, I don't see much of Kisa at all. She has gotten extremely hard to get a hold of. She has a cell phone now, but keeps forgetting to give me the number. I'm almost starting to think that she doesn't like me anymore. Then I remind myself that her friends are very important in this stage of her life. I just wish I had more confirmation on whether or not she still loves me. It would make my next tasks on my to-do list much easier!

The rare times I do see Kisa actually in person, she is usually accompanied by her friends. It's really depressing, but I have to stay strong for her. She needs a stable base to stay on. I'm starting to wonder, though. How much time does she really need for her friends? Is she just avoiding me? Why? Is she hiding something from me? Maybe another boy? I sighed. It's self-defeating to think these thoughts. They are proving rather difficult to drive out of my head, though.

I think of these things as I lay on my bed in the darkness of my room. Staring up at the ceiling, I am currently working myself up. This next step is going to take a lot of my confidence and courage, and I should actually prepare for it. Deep breathing does wonders for the nerves. Glancing over at the clock, I see that it reads six-thirty. I have already made the necessary calls last night. Mother doesn't know that I made ANY calls, but that's for the best in case I don't come back.

Standing up off the bed, I walked over to the far wall to get my backpack, then out of my room, slowly and quietly shutting the door. All I could see was pain in the immediate future, but I still stepped forward without fear. Walking down the hallway, I can't help but wonder if this is really worth it or not. Is this girl really worth it? How much DO you love me, Kisa?

Sneaking quietly down the stairs, I finally make it to the divider between our kitchen/dining room and the living room. I had spent most of last night writing my note ahead of time. It explained everything on the inside in case I wouldn't be coming back. On the outside, it tells that I should be back before lunch. If not, and ONLY if not, then I will allow the seal of the note to be broken and the contents read. Even my mother would have to abide by this promise. I left it on the kitchen table and headed towards the door.

Wandering slowly downtown, I lost myself in thought yet again. How much would this end up costing me? I had a feeling that it would cost something far more than money. The money I wasn't worried about at all. I had saved up since middle school and had over five digits in my account. This should cover the actual money amount.

How much blood would I have to pay by the end of the day? That was the part I didn't really want to think about. Looking up from my haze of thoughts, I find myself looking into the store again. Finally, the day has come that I will enter it… but not quite yet. Death was calling at the moment and I had to respond. If I didn't win there would be no point in going to the store then. I laughed to myself all of a sudden.

"Why do you always look into that window?" I heard. Kisa was walking towards me smiling.

"Kisa? Isn't this kind of early in the morning for you?" I asked her.

If she heard me, she doesn't respond. "Do you honestly think I still love you?" she asks snidely. My eyes widen.

"You don't?" I ask in disbelief. She snorts, smile disappearing.

"You're so stupid sometimes! Thick, too… I hate you!" she almost screams. I blink at the scream but she's gone when I open my eyes. I laugh at myself again before walking on. Moving into the residential district, I get closer to my true destination.

As I walk, I hear my footsteps echoing in the street. Fog becomes visible as I go up higher. The echo becomes more distinct as it splits into a separate set of footsteps. I look to my left to find Kisa walking beside me. She turns to look at me and smiles. I return the smile and walk on. Finally reaching the main gate, I slide it open. Glancing behind me, I find that Kisa is gone. Good. I don't even want her image following me into here…

**

* * *

**

Goddess of Death and Darkness

* * *

Walking though the gates, I find myself heading over to Hatori's building. I lightly knocked and the door slid open almost immediately. Hatori stood there looking down at me with the sad eyes I almost never see him wear anymore.

"Are you sure about this, Hiro?" he asked. I nodded. He returned a single nod. I had made up my mind a long time ago about this. There was no changing my mind now. I'm pretty sure that Hatori understood this, though. The main thing is that he would be waiting outside just in case. I walked inside and set the backpack down on the floor near the wall. Turning back around, I nodded to Hatori again.

"Follow me, then," Hatori spoke softly. I walked in complete silence behind him. There was nothing to say, really. I had already been instructed to leave the note and been allowed to use the Sohma's official seal on it. Everything was taken care of already and now it was up to me.

We entered one of the largest buildings on the compound. Walking down the dark hallway, we passed several doors and only stopped at a large, double door. This was it. The threshold… There was no going back after I stepped through this final gate. I just stared at the wood on the door. I had only walked beyond it once in my life. The last time I did it almost brought doom down on so many people. I was stronger now, though.

Hatori just watched me with his hand on the grip of the door. I looked up at him then. He nodded to me and I eventually returned the nod. I saw the muscles in his arm move as he pulled. The door slid freely and only darkness waited on the other side. It seemed deeper, though. It almost lashed out at me. I'm not afraid of the darkness! Screaming the thought in my mind, I stepped though the door…

Darkness completely surrounded me, but I walked forward without fear and kneeled down in the center of the room, facing the wall to the right of the door. There I waited… There was absolute silence after Hatori closed the door again. Sitting there, I didn't bother to look around the room. Scenery was pointless now. Then I heard footsteps. SHE stepped out of the shadows of the corner, seeming to merge out of them.

Her hair reached her chin in the front. It was so dark it was almost purple. Her eyes were somehow darker and burned at me. An aura of everything horrible I could think of surrounded her. Death, doom, destruction, pain, misery, and complete darkness listed just a few of them. The aura seemed to extend off her back as she approached, giving her the appearance of a dark angel… This reminded me of Kisa and gave me strength. Recalling the dreams I have had of her with beautiful glowing wings brought comfort in this evil place.

Finally she stopped five feet in front of me. Her flowing robe was wrapped around her to bring warmth. Her body was supposedly weak and almost constantly sick, but when she got angry… Yuki, Hatori, Kisa, Rin… you all have faced her direct wrath. I'm not afraid of you anymore, Akito!

"Little Hiro has paid me an early morning visit, I see…" she spoke in a calm and quiet voice. I didn't reply. "How is Kisa these days?" she asked with a touch of sarcasm.

"Doing much better," I spoke in my normal voice. She still didn't know that I have been going out with her for years now? This might be bad.

"Hmm… well, I always worry for family members…" she added. You don't deserve to call Kisa family! I held my tongue. "Well, I'm assuming that there is a point to you visiting me?" she asked as she turned away.

I closed my eyes. Hope you're ready for me, Death, because I'm heading at you with everything I have! "I came to request your permission and blessing to marry Kisa," I announced.

The darkness around me seemed to shudder as Akito stopped walking. Slowly, she turned around. I saw the bottoms of her robes swish as she turned. "That's quite a step up from what you came here last time for. Shouldn't you at least date the poor girl for a little while before hauling her off to marry her?" she asked in an amused voice. I smiled.

"I have been dating her since the eighth grade," I spoke in a clear and calm voice. For some reason, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face…

"Heh… I had my suspicions… You obviously didn't care about my permission to date her…" she said snidely. With my training, I saw it coming a mile away, but blocking was against the rules. The foot entered my chest and flung me off my knees and backwards, sliding. I just lay on my back about five feet from where I was before.

"How dare you even attempt to date her without my permission!" she screamed at me. Slowly, I got back up to my feet and walked back over to where I was before and kneeled down again. I saw her twitch slightly in the dark.

"What makes you think I should let you marry the brat?" she asked.

"I love her," I replied simply. A horrible snapping noise ripped through the air around me. I saw a streak of blood mark the floor and knew that she had pulled out her whip. My left shoulder hurt all of a sudden, but I didn't bother to look at it. Instead, I just looked directly into those burning black eyes and kept smiling.

"You do have more guts this time, brat!" she snarled at me. The whip ate its way into my chest then, ripping through my shirt. I was grabbed by the arm and flung into the wall. My mind offered me thousands of ways to physically crush her into the ground, but I didn't use any. My back went almost an inch into the wood. Cracking noises could be heard all around me, and I hoped that it was just the wood. I stood back up. You can't dominate me this time, Akito! Walking back over to where I was, I kneeled down in front of her again. Warmth was running down my chest and left side. I ignored it.

"What makes you think that you deserve her?" she asked then.

"I've saved her life on numerous occasions already and would gladly give my life for her," I spoke without hesitation. Do your worst, you freak!

This time, I was put into the inner wall to my right. She held me against the wall by my throat. Seemingly angry that she couldn't choke me, though, she let me slide down the wall and proceeded to kick me in the gut while I was lying on the ground. Seven kicks later, I heard a slight snapping noise and I felt blood coming out of my mouth. She was walking away by then. I stood up! Searing pain ripped through my stomach, chest, and right side, but I walked forward again and kneeled down where I was before. I refused to give her the satisfaction of my death. She must have heard my knees touch down because she whipped around quickly in slight shock. I felt the whip lash around my neck then, cutting slightly into the left side. She hauled me up using the whip and looked into my face. I just smiled at her.

"Humph… You brats aren't worth my time!" she shouted as she flung me backwards again. I landed on my back about five feet away. Moving my arms out, I lifted myself up and stood again. Burning pain flooded freely through me, but I ignored it, walked forward, and then kneeled down where I was before.

"I'm not leaving here alive without your permission and blessing," I stated. She turned around wearing a face of utter disbelief. I just stared into the burning eyes wearing a smile. Go ahead… Kill me, Akito! I will face death rather than life without her!

"You're so much more stubborn than I remember you, little Hiro…" she said calmly then.

"Kill me then. I refuse to allow you to make me live without her, and I won't leave without your permission and your blessing," I spoke calmly, still smiling.

"Hmph… I don't care about you brats anymore!" she screamed angrily at my lack of submitting to her. She then turned around and walked towards the corner again.

"Akito!" I shouted to her.

"Fine. Take her, she's yours. You have my permission and blessing," she replied, disappearing into the shadows of the corner again.

"You have my thanks," I spoke courtly as I stood up and actually managed a bow. Not even giving her the satisfaction of seeing my injuries, I used most of my strength to get over to the door without the slightest limp. Sliding the door open, I stepped into the hallway and closed it behind me. Hatori stood up and looked at me. I stumbled forwards slightly and he caught my right arm and led me back to his office. The last thing I remember was collapsing onto one of his beds.

**

* * *

**

Permission

* * *

My eyes opened slowly. I was still staring up at Hatori's ceiling. My shirt was now missing, though. There was a bandage across my chest and on my left shoulder. My neck was bandaged as well. My shorts didn't seem to get that damaged, though. Hatori walked into the room at that moment.

"Finally awake?" he asked softly. I pushed myself up on the bed using my right arm.

"Yeah. I'm awake now," I said softly, testing my lungs. No pain…

Hatori smiles then. "Want the status report?" he asks jokingly. I nod. He continues then, "You have a slight nick on the side of your neck. I bandaged it to prevent blood loss. Your left shoulder is deeply gashed. I managed to stop the bleeding and patch it back up, but there is a high probability that it will leave a slight mark." I nodded then. The first permanent injury, but it was worth it for the results. "You have a cracked rib on your right side. This will limit your mobility and physical activities for the next couple weeks or so. I recommend six weeks of only ten pound loads just to be safe. Definitely no martial arts, Mr. Black Belt!" I laughed then. "You also have a large gash across your chest. It patched up fairly well and only has a slight possibility of scarring towards the middle where it's deepest… And lastly, you have a couple dozen bruises all over your body, mainly concentrated on your back. You're incredibly lucky," he finished.

Sighing then, I just sat there for a little while. He didn't realize how lucky I was. All of a sudden, he walked forward and sat down to my left on the bed.

"You passed out before I could ask you. Did you get it?" he asked. I sensed excitement in his voice. I smiled contently.

"I now have Akito's permission and blessing to marry Kisa," I answered happily. Hatori actually started laughing. I had never heard him laugh before and looked over at him.

"Excellent job, Hiro! That took a lot of guts, but I guess it paid off in the end," he replied happily.

Dropping off the side of the bed I walked over to where I dropped my backpack earlier. Zipping it open gently, I withdrew another shirt and pair of shorts. I glanced down at mine really quickly. They were tattered and torn from hitting the walls. I stepped out of them and slid on the new pair. After they were on, I slipped on the shirt carefully and looked back over at Hatori. He was staring off into space, still wearing the smile. Sliding the backpack on, I called out to him again.

"Thanks for putting me back together, Hatori. What do I owe you?" I asked.

"Yours and Kisa's happiness," he replied, smiling at me. I nodded.

"Will do!" I replied happily. After a few moments of consideration, I continued. "Let's keep this between us for now?" I asked.

"I didn't think you had told anyone about this. They will ask about the note and the injuries, though," he replied calmly.

"It's not like I have to TELL them anything," I replied. Hatori laughed.

"You HAVE studied our family laws correctly. That's why you asked for the seal, huh?" he asked. I simply nodded.

"I will talk to you later, Hatori!" I replied.

"You will need a check-up in six weeks," he called out as I exited the doors.

"I will be here!" I called back before walking down the path to the main gate of the compound. The day somehow seemed brighter and more alive. Kisa was going to be a part of my entire life now!

* * *

**Shopping**

* * *

Diamonds… truly a girl's best friend? I hoped so. They were horribly expensive and I needed their symbolic value in the future. Wondering how I should break the news to Kisa, I stood in front of the shop. It was a well known jewelry shop that I knew had a very interesting ring that I wanted. I had been looking through their selection on the internet and pre-ordered a ring. The transaction was directly from my bank account and all I needed was picture identification. Not sure if my student identification card would be enough, I went down to the government building and got an official photo identification card made. It listed almost everything about me, so it should work. 

Pushing open the doors I never thought I would be able to, I stepped inside the store. My eyes were assaulted from all sides by glittering gems and jewels set into gold and silver. It was a truly amazing sight, but I couldn't be less interested at the moment. Walking up to the front counter, a woman turned around and smiled at me.

"Is there something I can do for you, Sir?" she asked politely.

"Hello! I'm Hiro Sohma, here to pick up a very special delivery," I replied. She flipped through her papers near the cash register.

"Sohma… Sohma… Hmm… Ah! Yes, here you are," she read the entry before continuing, "Oh my! An engagement ring! Some girl must be very lucky indeed!" she commented. I felt myself blush slightly.

"Can you show some picture ID please?" she asked. I pulled out my wallet and withdrew the new ID card. She examined it for a little bit, then nodded. Handing it back, she spoke again, "It looks like everything is in order! A moment please…"

She disappeared into the back room. I sighed. Hopefully, Kisa would like this ring. I had gotten her a couple rings in the past. None of them matched up to the quality of this one, but I knew her finger size anyway. Thinking back to the horror of trial and error on that first ring, I shuddered. I had to send it back in three times to get it resized. It would be horribly embarrassing if this one didn't fit. Of course, I had one more ring to buy as well, but that one was a little bit into the future still.

Snapping out of my daze when the woman entered the room again, I smiled up at her. She returned my smile and presented me with a small black box. It was the most beautiful object in the world at the moment. I slowly took it from her hands and opened it up. Inside was a slender silver band with a single, embedded diamond at the top. My smile broadened as I gazed at the ring. Slowly closing the box, I set it back on the counter and nodded to the woman.

"It's perfect!" I exclaimed. She nodded and looked at the entry again.

"You have already sent the confirmation from your bank account, so all you have to do is sign this paper and the ring is yours!" she said happily.

I took the slip of paper from her and proceeded to read the entire thing. It had the full warranty that I had requested, as well as the free resizing if needed. I was always overly paranoid when it comes to that. Everything else seemed to be in order, so I signed my name at the bottom.

"Congratulations, Mr. Sohma! You are the owner of the engagement ring now!" she exclaimed happily. That had a nice sound to it. "Engagement…" I smiled contently.

"Thank you!" I told the woman and slipped the black box into my pocket.

"Have an excellent day, Mr. Sohma," she said as I exited the shop.

Too late. The day couldn't get much better then this. Now all I needed was an answer that I hoped I knew already! How to ask, though? Another date, maybe? That would be rather hard to set up with her lack of openings in her calendar. I will have to try, though. I checked my watch. Eleven o'clock… perfect. All I had to do was get home before noon!

* * *

**Home**

* * *

Walking into my entry hall at eleven-fifty, I walked over to the kitchen table. The note had been moved slightly, but the seal wasn't broken. I smiled then. My secret was still safe. I could now reveal it whenever I so desired. Taking the note up in my right hand, I looked at it with a smile. Footsteps sounded from the hall rapidly then and my mother rounded the corner. Her eyes went wide when she saw me and she rushed forwards. Fearing the worst, I held out my hand to her. If she were to hug me now, not only would it cause tremendous amount of pain, but none of my bandages would become sheep-size. She stopped then and seemed to notice the bandage on my neck. 

"What on earth did you do? You have the whole family abuzz and rumors are flying everywhere! No one seems to have the same story, though!" she exclaimed with a bit of a smile.

I didn't say anything, but just kept smiling at her. Walking past her, I went upstairs and entered my room. Setting the backpack down on the bed, I managed to look up just as she entered the room.

"And why is that bandage on your neck?" she asked. I laughed. Mother was going to be the hardest to keep the secret from, so maybe I should let her in on it? She probably wouldn't stop following me until I told her everything.

"Care to keep a family seal secret, Mother?" I asked her then. Her eyes widened, but she nodded.

"If you promise to never tell another soul about this until I say otherwise, I will tell you," I reinforced. This would be almost impossible for her, but she would have to…

"Yes, I promise! Now what happened?" she demanded frantically.

"Very well," I spoke, laughing. In one fluid motion I pulled my shirt over my head and onto the floor.

Mother's eyes widened as she saw the numerous bandages covering my chest, back, ribs, and left arm shoulder. I must have looked like I had been hit by another truck!

"What happened?" she almost shouted. I continued smiling. Now the fun part.

"I had a brief discussion with Akito…" I replied calmly. Somehow her eyes widened further. Normally, I wouldn't be caught anywhere near Akito. She must be searching through her head for a reason…

"Why on earth did you go and talk to that horrible woman!" she asked. I was correct. She didn't find a reason, though. I was almost disappointed. My smile widened as I sat down on my bed again. Reaching into my pocket I pulled out the small black box. Mother frowned as she stepped closer to look at it. Slowly, I opened it up in her direction.

After a few moments of just staring in awe at the ring, she looked back up at me with a smile growing on her face. She had probably already guessed who it was for.

"I now have Akito's permission AND blessing to marry Kisa," I replied. Mother let out a brief yelp of joy. Ha! I always knew that she had favored it! I saw tears start to form in her eyes.

"That's excellent! She's going to be so happy!" Mother exclaimed happily. I nodded slowly. I hoped so, anyway… Hopefully, she would be one of the first to visit me. Then I could arrange a rather large date in the future to ask her…

* * *

**Secrets**

* * *

It didn't take me long to realize that Mother was correct. Almost everyone in the family knew that I had done SOMETHING that had involved Akito. The only problem was that they all wanted to find out what I had done. This was quite a problem when I didn't want a particular girl to find out yet. 

Laying on my bed watching TV, I quickly discovered that I could be much more comfortable with my bandages without my shirt on. Laying there, I heard a knock on my door. Hoping it was Kisa, I shouted, "Come in!" I was disappointed that it wasn't her… Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo stepped into the room. Tohru put both hands to her mouth once she saw all of my bandages. I just smiled at them all. Tohru couldn't find out. She didn't have to abide by the rules of our family and could just walk up to Kisa and tell her if she wanted.

Yuki just looked me over, Kyo sat down on the couch and just stared at me. Tohru looked like she was about to freak out.

"What on earth happened to you, Hiro?" Yuki finally asked. I looked down at myself then.

"Looks like I got beat up a little…" I commented. Kyo smirked.

"I had heard that you invoked the Sohma family seal… chicken," he taunted.

"Cat lover…" I commented back.

"What did you call me, you brat!" He was shouting already. I just rolled my eyes. Too easy…

"Well, we just wanted to make sure you're ok. If you don't want to say anything yet, I respect your desire," Yuki spoke. I nodded to him. Tohru still looked close to panic.

"Has Kisa visited you yet?" she asked. I just shook my head.

"I don't know where Kisa is, or if she has even heard the rumors that you three did," I replied truthfully. Tohru nodded.

"If I see her, I will tell her to drop by. Of course, once I tell her that you're injured, I doubt that she would want to leave…" Tohru added a laugh onto the last part of that. I smiled. She was calming down already. Tohru wasn't such a bad person, really, just rather… stupid sometimes.

"Well, we had better get going, then, if you don't need anything," Yuki finally said.

"No thanks. I'm perfectly comfortable and have lived through much worse. Thanks for stopping in, though!" I commented. All three nodded and left the room.

About a half an hour later, I was getting slightly tired… The TV didn't seem to have anything except repeats on or edited versions of DVDs I already owned. Slowly, I started to feel the room darken and had just decided to take a nap when it happened. The nova flare of light went off to my right. I sighed…

"Hey, Hiro! Got yourself beat up by Akito, I hear," Momiji commented.

"Your point is…?" I asked.

"Just examining facts. You went to Akito once before, if I recall. You told her that you loved Kisa then and it didn't turn out so hot. Seeing that nothing has happened to Kisa and you're beat up instead, yet alive, I would guess that you had more success with whatever your mission was this time. Also examining prior history, the only reason you would get near Akito would be if it was about Kisa…" Momiji spit out. Completely accurate so far… He continued then after he noticed I was just looking at him, "Taking a shot in the dark after that wild analysis, I would say that you asked to marry Kisa…" he guessed in his next breath. I just smiled up at him happily.

"Congratulations! You have discovered exactly what happened! Guess what?" I said excitedly.

"Oh! What?" he said, letting his excitement get the better of him.

"You're sealed…" I replied. His smile melted away almost instantly.

"That wasn't very nice…" he pouted all of a sudden. I couldn't have laughed much harder. So long I had waited to crush his happiness like he had to mine so many times.

"Speak for yourself…" I replied snidely.

"Did it work, though?" he asked, normally this time. Could it be he was actually concerned? I slid my hand behind my pillow and drew out the black box. Opening it, I watched his eyes widen. "Awesome! That's so cool! You can actually marry Kisa now?" he asked happily. I nodded. "Well, I can't tell anyone now, so you have ruined all of my fun… I shall see you later, then." He walked out of the room still smiling. I sighed and closed the box.

Lying on my bed, I started to think again after Momiji left. Thankfully, I had two weeks off school for break and I should be healed up by the time school starts again. This should give me ample time to heal to the point of moving without restrictions. I had to at least LOOK like I was normal to protect Kisa if she needed it. Watching TV for the rest of the day, I was rather hurt when Kisa didn't show up at all…

I woke up the next morning and walked downstairs. Mother was making breakfast in the kitchen. She turned around when she heard my footsteps.

"Good morning, dear! Care for some breakfast?" she asked happily. Ever since she learned that I was going to marry Kisa, she was almost constantly in a good mood.

"Sure. Do you know where Kisa is, Mother?" I asked. She should have heard about this by now.

There was hesitation? Finally, my mother turned around and looked at me.

"You probably picked a very bad week to do this. Kisa left with some of her friends for vacation…" she informed me. The floor was suddenly very nice to look at. She left without asking if I wanted to come…

"When will she be back?" I asked sadly.

"Not until school starts again. They went to a rather large hot spring, actually. Her mother might know the number there," she offered. Hot springs? With her friends? Well, that DID explain why she didn't ask me to go with. I nodded and walked over to the phone. After a few seconds of ringing, her mother answered.

"Hello, Aunty," I replied.

"Hiro? I heard something happened! What's wrong?" she asked frantically. Wow. Even she had caught word of the rumors… I had thought as much, so I had decided to call and at least tell her that I was ok.

"Not much, Aunty, I'm just a little beat up… that's all," I replied, trying to sound optimistic.

"How badly?" She definitely sounded concerned now.

"Heh… well it will only take six weeks for me to heal these wounds," I joked. Maybe if I acted light-hearted enough she would be put at ease…

"Ahh! I will tell Kisa when she calls tonight!" she exclaimed. Oops… Forgot how touchy they were.

I couldn't have shouted "No!" much louder. If Kisa found out about this, she probably wouldn't be able to enjoy the rest of her vacation.

"Why not, though?" she asked hesitantly. She really doesn't think about her daughter's feelings very much.

"I want her to enjoy herself without worrying about me…" I explained.

"Well fine… I won't tell her," she answered.

"Good. I will talk to you later, Aunty!"

"Goodbye, Hiro!" she replied before I hung up the phone and sighed…

* * *

**Hot Springs**

* * *

The water was really warm, but it felt so good. I had taken my towel off and set it on a rock beside me. It was like a really warm bath. My back muscles slowly loosened. Midterms had been a little rough on me and I had stressed out. Glancing to my right, I saw Mori drop her towel and step into the water as well. 

"This was a really good idea, Kisa!" she exclaimed. I couldn't agree more.

"I think we needed this after Midterms," Inoue said from behind me somewhere. I felt like saying, "Like you really needed it!" but held my tongue.

"My only question is why didn't you invite Hiro?" Mori asked. Oh no. She had to remind me…

I just rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah! A single boy going along with three girls. He would be really excited about that," I replied. This didn't stop me from feeling bad about it, though.

"Why not? We could have snuck him into our hot springs area. We can share…" Mori replied. I was getting sick of her flirting with Hiro… After a rather long glare at her, I finally spoke.

"I'm pretty sure the general lack of clothing would be a bad thing," I commented sarcastically. My thoughts returned, as usual, to the conversation in the restaurant.

"Why is that?" Mori asked playfully. My spray of water got her right in the face!

"Please don't speak about Hiro like that…" I calmly stated. This was getting annoying.

"Well, it wouldn't be a problem for you, anyway! We would just wear towels," Mori retorted. What?

"Why wouldn't it be a problem for me?" I asked curiously.

"Well he has seen YOU naked before, so it shouldn't be a big surprise," she added casually. WHAT?

"Please don't assume…" I responded. It was rather hard to keep from blushing, but my cheeks were already heated from the water, so they probably didn't change much. Mori just stared at me with rather large eyes.

"He hasn't!" she asked. I rolled my eyes.

"No he hasn't."

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't shown him yet… Why is this such a big deal?" He said himself that I didn't have to!

"Wow… I wonder how he feels about that…?" she pondered, almost in awe. She's just teasing me again. I shouldn't let her get to me like this.

"What do you mean by THAT?" I asked.

"Usually by the freshman year, most couples have already reached that point, but I guess if he isn't upset with you…" She shrugged. This was news to me…

"Really?" I asked. Uh oh…

"Generally, yes," she replied.

"Oops…" I spoke, sinking beneath the water. Hiro said he didn't mind, though! Of course, I should probably go off of a current opinion that isn't months old… Then I realized that it's been almost two weeks since I have seen him or even talked with him! The last time I had seen him was after congratulating him on his belt test. I'm trying to keep a balance to make everyone happy, but for some reason I keep forgetting about HIM. Maybe it's just his attitude. Oh no… This day keeps getting better and better… How long has it been since we had a date? Winter dance was our last actual date… Oops… Maybe I should call him tonight? Why is he so nice to me all the time? He should have called me by now! He has my… on second thought… no, he doesn't have my cell phone number. For some odd reason, I felt like staying underwater until I drown.

Eventually, I resurfaced and stood up. There was something about the way he acted that made it so easy to ignore him and focus on my friends. Wrapping my towel around myself, I headed back in to our room. This was a rather expensive place, so each room had its own hot spring segmented to it. After I wandered back inside, I picked up the phone. Mother first, then Hiro. I dialed. Mother picked up almost instantly, but sounded rather shaky? Something seemed wrong.

"Hello, Mother! How are you today?" I asked.

"Um… uh… fine dear! Thanks for calling." My eyes narrowed slightly.

"What's wrong, Mother?" I asked, concerned.

"Nothing at all!" she almost shouted. I have heard this tone before. She just got really bad news and hadn't recovered yet. I hoped Hiro was ok. Thinking about him, though, made me start thinking about what I had done to him. Ignoring him for so long is just stupid of me. Why didn't he care about HIS happiness more? Wondering if he was actually home, I decided to ask.

"I just realized a little while ago that I haven't talked to Hiro in over three weeks. I have decided to call him after I get off with you, though. Do you know if he's home?" I asked.

"Don't call him!" she shouted again. Uh oh… Why not?

"What happened to Hiro, Mother?" I asked, getting very concerned. If something happened to him AND I had been ignoring him, I would feel horrible!

"Oops… well um…" Oops?

"Mother!" I shouted.

"Well, he's a little beat up at the moment and probably resting," she stated. My eyes widened. How did he get beat up! Who COULD beat him up?

"What happened to him?" I almost screamed.

Mori and Inoue rushed over to where I was talking.

"Well, he wouldn't tell me exactly what happened, but rumor has it he talked to Akito about something…" My eyes widened. Why on earth would he go near Akito! Did he have a death wish?

"Is it bad?" I asked.

"Well, he said it would take six weeks to recover from it entirely," she informed me. Oh no… Why did I choose now to go on vacation?

"Oh no! I will come home on the next bus! See you tomorrow, Mother!" I shouted.

I heard a brief "No! Wait!" before I hung up the phone. I just sat there, stunned, on the bed. Inoue and Mori are giving me very worried, questioning looks.

"Hiro has been hurt badly…" I replied after a few seconds of recovery. Mori gasped and Inoue put her hands to her mouth. I continued, "I'm not going to be able to stay with you two here. I have to get back to help Hiro."

"We understand…" Inoue replied.

"Yeah, get back home and take good care of Hiro for us!" she exclaimed.

"Wait a second? Is there a bus out today?" I asked them.

"Um… If you rush, you might be able to catch the last one…" Inoue said after looking at the clock.

I ran over to the bed and immediately started packing. Quickly changing into a light yellow t-shirt and skirt, I crammed the rest of my clothes violently into my suitcase and started packing my accessories. Mori and Inoue assisted me in getting everything. All I could think about was Hiro in bandages like when he was hit by the truck!

"If you forget anything, we will bring it home for you!" Inoue told me.

"Thanks!" I replied as I lifted my suitcase.

"Hurry now!" Mori shouted. I gave a brief nod and rushed out the door.

The entire way to the bus station, I was thinking of Hiro injured at home and hating me. Having completely ignored him for three weeks, I wouldn't blame him! Why would he talk to Akito! It was almost suicide!

Rushing up, I hailed the bus. It was just about to start moving when the driver saw me and stopped! Thank goodness! Rushing onto the bus, I was probably crying by the time I boarded with my suitcase. The driver gave me a sympathetic look, probably assuming it was an emergency, as I handed him my pass. Finding an empty seat, I collapsed into it and caught my breath. Why was I so careless sometimes! I sighed. I wonder if Hiro still loved me. It would only take me two hours to get home now. Staring out the window, I wondered if Hiro would ever forgive me…

* * *

**Surprise Visit**

* * *

My eyes flickered open. Casually glancing at the clock, I realized that I had slept for almost seven hours. Some nap… My bed was too comfortable sometimes. It was almost ten at night now. The TV was still on, so I started to watch it again. After about ten minutes, I began to get sleepy again, but fought it. It was raining again. If I listened to it for too long it WOULD put me to sleep. 

All of a sudden, I heard a knocking from downstairs. After waiting a few minutes, the knock came again. Mother probably fell asleep… I sighed. Getting off the bed, I slipped on a shirt and wandered downstairs. Mother peeked around the corner at the same time I reached the bottom. Nice timing, Mother, but I'm already up. Both of us stopped then, probably wearing the same expression! Standing in our entry way was a very soaked Kisa carrying a huge suitcase! I thought she was on vacation! I just stared at her for a little bit. She was re-locking the door from inside and pocketing the set of keys we had given her. She turned around with the suitcase and froze when she saw us. For a couple seconds we just stared at each other.

Glancing over at my mother for a few moments, she started to smile. Her gaze shifted to me then and it moved to confusion. I almost laughed. She came home thinking I was injured and the only thing visible was the small bandage on my neck. She was probably mad now. She set the suitcase down and walked towards me.

"I was told you were injured so I rushed back here as soon as I could," Kisa said. I smiled at her. This looked like almost too good of a practical joke.

She reached out and felt the bandage on my neck. "Um…" I laughed a little bit then.

"Is this it?" she asked. What? She wanted me to be MORE injured?

"Wait! You came all the way back home when you heard Hiro was hurt?" Mother asked. Kisa nodded. Mother gave her a huge smile. Kisa looked confused. Don't blow it, Mother! I thought. It was kind of difficult for Mother, I guess, knowing that the girl standing here dripping in our dining room would hopefully one day be her daughter-in-law.

Enough of this silly acting, I thought. Slowly I reached down and slid the shirt over my head and dropped it to the floor near my feet. Kisa's confused look melted into horror when she saw my bandages.

"Is this better?" I asked. Kisa shook her head rapidly. Well at least she wasn't HAPPY that I was more injured than she had thought. I reached down and picked the shirt up off the floor, emitting a slight grunting noise.

"Be careful, dear!" Mother exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. So overprotective!

"I don't think the shirt weighs over ten pounds, Mother," I replied sarcastically as I walked back up the stairs. Kisa ran back, grabbed her suitcase, and ran up the stairs following me. This surprised me a little. Why was she bringing her suitcase upstairs?

"I'm staying here until Hiro gets better, Aunty!" she shouted on her way past. What?

"That's perfectly fine, dear!" Mother called back up the stairs. Of course she wouldn't have ANY problem with Kisa staying two WEEKS now.

Walking into my room, I tossed the shirt onto the floor and lied down on the bed again. Kisa slid the suitcase into my closet for now. Standing up, she turned back around to me. Her clothes stuck to her skin badly, but she didn't seem to notice. She was just watching me with sad eyes. She started to walk towards the bed. My eyes motioned up and down her. She looked down, and then blushed slightly. Preferring not to get my sheets soaked, she walked back to the suitcase but stopped. Looking up then, she noticed that lots of her clothes were still in my closet, and they were perfectly clean. She turned around and looked at me with a questioning expression.

"You cleaned all my clothes?" she asked. I nodded with a smile. She smiled back at me happily before selecting a shirt and shorts off of the racks. She then walked off towards the bathroom. I decided to close my eyes for a little bit.

Opening them when I felt weight push into me slightly, I saw Kisa from about two inches away. I smiled at her. She has supported herself using her hands and knees on either side of me as to not put much weight on me. Leaning forwards slightly, I placed a light kiss on her lips. She let out a sigh and deepened it immediately? What did she think? That I was mad at her or something? Dueling with my tongue slightly she started giggling.

"Oops… sorry! I will ask later," I heard as the door started to close all of a sudden. Mother?

Kisa quickly sat up on me with a slightly pink face. If only she knew… I slid out from under her and walked towards the door.

"It's ok, Mother. You can come in…" I said after opening it. Mother was halfway down the hall but stopped and turned around.

"Well, I wasn't sure…" she said hesitantly while walking back. Turning around and walking back into the room, I noticed that Kisa was just staring at me wearing a bright scarlet color on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry…" she says quietly as Mother enters the room.

"It's ok, dear. I just didn't want to intrude," she replied. Kisa gave her a slight questioning look. Learn how to at least act a little, Mother, I thought desperately. She continued before Kisa could ask anything. "Does your mother know you're back yet?"

"No. I came right over here after I got off the bus," she explained. I was rather happy that she cared that much about me. Sliding over on the bed, I wrapped my arms around her gently. She seemed slightly stunned.

"You worried that much about me?" I asked.

"Well of course, Hiro! I love you," she replied. Most of my doubts washed away right there.

"Well, I will go inform your mother that you will be at least spending tonight. You should let him get some rest, though," she said as she excused herself from the room. I recalled that originally I HAD planned on taking a nap and was rather tired.

Lying back down on the bed, I rested my head against the pillow. I felt Kisa lay down beside me and opened my eyes slightly.

"Go to sleep now, silly. I will be here when you wake up, don't worry," she said softly. I smiled then and briefly wondered if I had shut the door. Oh well. Kisa pressed herself into me and set her hands on my right arm this time. I casually wrapped my left arm around her. Kisa smiled and closed her eyes. I think I did the same. Letting my troubles evaporate for the moment, I managed to drift away…

* * *

**Chapter 11 – End!**

* * *

Author's Note: 

Mmm... that was a cute chapter...kinda. It had to happen eventually, but I did work Akito in and I finally revealed what Hiro's intentions have been for the last couple chapters. Heh... Sorry about the gore, but I thought it would be slightly more realistic for Akito after what Hiro asked...-blinks-

Thanks go out to all my reviewers and readers as usual! I must have several psychic reviewers in the audience now as I've had this chapter written ahead of time for a while now and they were just recommending introducing Akito... Congrats on the timing!

-A.T.

**Individual Review Responses:**

**rbzodiac612:** Your gore as promised. Yeah, the last chapter got a little... bad in places. I'm considering raising my rating soon but I should be able to get away with a few more chapters in T rating. I'm glad you liked the fluff! Just don't stalk me too openly. That might do terrible things to my nerves and then it would be hard to write more chapters... -sticks out tongue again-

**lightningstrxu:** Akito is... uh... there! -points up- So many psychic peoples in my fan base... -blink blink- I'm not writing these on the spur of the moment either. I've got... a couple chapters written already just in case I lag too badly. As for Hiro and Kisa...? Let's see... Hiro just went on his first dance with Kisa last chapter... so that would mean that he's just starting High School and that Kisa's a year into High School now. Does that answer your question?

**Kisshu-luv: **Wow. I've not seen a person THAT excited over my story in a LONG time. Fascinating. Well I'm glad you like it so much. You might have a point though. My chapters ARE really long and that might be scaring some people away from the story. The chapters I'm writing now are shorter and I try to limit them to about fifteen to twenty... pages. -tears- I just get on a roll and I can't stop myself once I start... -wobbles- The next chapter should be shorter...

**SlippingAway117:** Thanks! I'm glad you like the story and I hope you keep reading! It only gets better as it goes... and only a little more supernatural... -blink blink-

**dbzgtfan2004:** Oooh... thanks! I strive to be as cute as possible but I do have to work some serious scenes in every once in a while. Thanks for reading and I hope you continue!

**Mysterious Anonymous Reader:** Ok, now I'm REALLY suspicious. You're either extremely psychic, like lightningstrxu, or know me far better than I thought. Enough to have read the chapters ahead of time anyway... -blink blink- I'll just assume that I'm gathering a psychic audience however! -grins- I do try to make sure that the grammar and spelling is as best as possible however. That's why I have my wonderful friend edit for me, even if she is a bit slow at times... It's worth it in my opinion. And actually, I'm going into Computer Programming but I'll probably minor in writing and just do both if you must know... -blink blink- I'll take the compliment anyway and thanks for asking. -smiles- I hope you get an account however so I can tell if it's two people leaving two reviews or just one person who forgot something in the first review... -is confused-


	12. Questions and Answers

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Questions and Answers**

* * *

My eyes slowly opened. Kisa's eyes mimicked mine and she looked up at me sleepily. We just got done doing another flying session and she looked really happy. There was something different, though. Something about knowing I could marry her if she agreed. It was definitely something intangible, though. Sleepily gazing into her eyes, I started picturing her in a wedding dress. Her soft locks of golden-brown hair flowing onto the white fabric on her shoulders, her equally golden-brown eyes full of love and happiness as she leaned forward towards me smiling… 

Her lips actually did touch mine, snapping me out of my daydream abruptly. It stayed tender and brief, though, and she moved away slightly, resuming her smile. All that flooded through my mind was Akito's last words to me, "Take her, she's yours. You have my permission and blessing." I hardly considered her MINE… It sounded too much like I owned her, which was entirely inaccurate.

There were a few things that I actually should accomplish today, though. Making a few more arrangements was head on my list. Once I decided to release my information, I had a feeling I would be very busy, either crying or arranging depending on her answer. I sighed. She tilted her head questioningly to me.

"What exactly did you do, by the way? You never told me last night," she said after a couple of seconds. Hmm…

"I couldn't stand hiding it anymore. I made you my official girlfriend," I replied. Slightly truthful.

She looked confused then. "I thought we were doing a fairly good job of hiding it from Akito, though," she replied.

"Yes, well, if we break it to her slowly, she might be more receptive to other requests in the future…" I added. Her eyes widened considerably and she started smiling.

"You mean…?" she asked, leading. I just smiled at her. Her smile widened considerably and she leaned forward again.

This time her tongue extended into my mouth and I trapped it for a little while. She started giggling then. I heard footsteps in the hall and broke the kiss almost instantly. Kisa looked bewildered at me until my mother came in.

"You two are finally up? Do you want breakfast or not? It is almost noon…" she commented after stopping at the foot of the bed. I sat upright quickly and looked at the clock. I had never slept until noon before!

"Whoa! We really overslept!" I exclaimed. I had things to do today, too.

"Take it easy there… You don't need to rip open any of those wounds," Mother said.

"Sorry. I usually don't oversleep though!" I replied.

"Well, you're healing, so it's ok to oversleep," Kisa added.

"Smart girl…" Mother added.

Tired of getting tag teamed, I stood up off the bed and grabbed a change of clothes. Making a mental checklist as I walked, I entered the upstairs bathroom and brushed my teeth. After I got changed, I walked out of the bathroom and headed downstairs. Kisa and Mother were already down there when I arrived. Wandering into the kitchen, I started making myself two pieces of toast. Kisa was sitting at the dining room table with her head down on her arms looking like she was about to fall asleep again. It might be best if she did…

Walking back to the table with my toast, I began to munch while watching Kisa. It almost looked like she HAD fallen back asleep. Then her eyes opened and she smiled at me. Swallowing my current bite of toast, I return her smile. Violently cramming most of the last half into my mouth at once, I finished my juice and stood back up. Kisa was just looking at me with a slightly confused expression. Mother must have seen this…

"Kisa? Do you think you could help me with the laundry?" she asked then. Kisa's attention was diverted almost instantly and she nodded.

"No problem, Aunty!" she exclaimed happily.

Waiting until they had both gone into the back, I made my way out the door. Walking quickly, it only took me ten minutes to get to Kisa's house. Her mother was out gardening when I arrived. She turned around quickly with a little bit of shock evident on her face.

"Um… I thought Kisa was over at your house?" she asked.

"I'm not here to talk to Kisa this time, Aunty. I'm here to talk to you," I answered. I hope this would go well. Kisa's mother was extremely overprotective.

"Well… Ok. What do you want to talk to me about?" she asked hesitantly. This wouldn't do. Not the correct atmosphere.

"You might want to come inside for this…" I added. She definitely gave me a questioning look this time, but stood up and headed inside. I followed.

She was standing in the dining room when I made it inside. She was just watching me carefully. I walked over and sat down at the table. She took my cue and sat down as well.

"There is something I have to ask you. It's VERY important. I couldn't possibly stress it enough, actually, but I have to know something first," I spoke calmly. Her eyes widened slightly.

"What do you have to know?" she asked. There seemed to be a slight amount of worry in her voice. I guess she wasn't used to me acting this way.

"Can you keep a family seal secret?" I asked. Her eyes widened further.

"I would have to if you told me…" she stated.

"Even if your own daughter asks you what it is?" I asked. She simply nodded. I smiled.

"You're aware of what happened to me?" I asked.

"I only heard that you had talked to Akito and she injured you," she replied. I nodded.

"Yes, she did a very good job of injuring me, but there was a point to it," I explained.

"I didn't have any idea that it was to do with me or Kisa, though."

"The entire talk was about Kisa, actually," I informed her.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. I smiled and closed my eyes. Here we go…

"I asked Akito for her permission and blessing to marry Kisa." My voice came out calmly and clearly. Eyes still closed, I slipped my hand into my pocket and withdrew the box I had slipped in there this morning. Opening my eyes then, I set the box down on the table and gently opened it to face Kisa's mother. Finally risking a glance, I noticed she was just staring at me with a shocked expression on her face. My heart sank.

Slowly, she looked down at the ring in the box. Reaching forward, she slid the box across the table and examined it once it was in front of her. Waiting patiently for her to get done analyzing the ring, I finally spoke again when she looked back up.

"My mother is in favor of the marriage. I asked her last night, and now I ask you. Will you allow me to marry your daughter?" I finally asked. I felt empty after I said it and looked back down at the table. She wasn't responding as I had hoped she would, but she might still be in shock. I hope so…

"You want to marry Kisa?" she asked then, very slowly. It did appear to be shock.

"Yes. As you already know I love Kisa very much," I added. Still looking at the table, I began to trace lines along the grain of the wood. Suddenly my ears picked up a slight sniffing sound. Risking a glance back upwards, I noticed she was crying. What did this mean? Withdrawing one of my usual tissues for Kisa, I handed it to her mother instead. She smiled at me and took it. A smile? Promising…

"Oh, Hiro! I'm so happy! Of course you can marry Kisa!" she said through the tears. The day brightened in my eyes and I couldn't contain my smile.

"Thank you, Aunty!" I said then.

"You mean 'Mom,' right?" she said laughing.

"Well, Kisa hasn't actually agreed yet, but I hope she will," I commented.

"What? What is she waiting for?" she asked, bewildered.

"If I had to guess? Probably for me to ask her," I replied in a joking manner. Her mother laughed.

"Then what are YOU waiting for?" she asked.

"The perfect time and place. Kisa is remarkably hard to set a large date up with, though. My wish was to kind of make this special," I replied.

"I see your point. Kisa is rather busy as of late. Well, I am happy for you, but let me know when the date is that you're going to ask her, ok?" she requested happily. I nodded and stood up.

"Thanks again… Mom!" I shouted as I ran out the door. There was a considerable amount of laughing behind me…

* * *

**Thoughts**

* * *

It had all worked out so perfectly! The only one that I hadn't asked yet was Kisa! Now all I would have to do is set up a lovely evening of fun to surround the event. The restaurant I pick should be romantic and cozy. Our usual might work but, maybe I should try something new? Debating still, I finally went through the doors of my house. 

Should I actually ask Kisa directly for a date, or should I attempt to surprise her? If I attempt to surprise her, it might turn out badly, though, like her already having something to do. Wandering back over to the kitchen table, I sat down in the same seat I was in before. In a few minutes, Kisa and Mother wandered in from the back, each carrying a basket of clothes to hang outside.

"Still sitting there? We're lazy today!" Kisa teased.

"I'm kind of low on energy," I explained. Kisa laughed and continued outside. Mother stopped briefly and pretended to shift something on the counter. After Kisa had exited, she looked over at me expectantly.

All I did was give her the thumbs up. Her face broke into a smile and she nodded. Picking up the basket again, she followed Kisa out. I went back to thinking. Assuming she didn't just say no immediately, she would probably assault me with questions, either right then or that night. She would ask if she could still go to college. I had no problems with this because I was planning on attending too and we can just get a couples room. She also has told me that once she graduated, she would like to travel a little bit, possibly even delaying college. Or she said she would wait until after college. Either way, I didn't have a problem with that. I would happily follow her to the ends of the earth and back… She also complained to me that her mother was pushing her in different directions. It would seem that her family held some of the more old-fashioned views. That the woman should stay home and raise children. I laughed out loud then and shook my head. I could DEFINITELY wait for kids! I sighed. There were probably so many more questions that I hadn't thought of. Kisa could pretty much do whatever she wanted. I wasn't going to restrict her freedom in the least!

Then I thought back to what Haru said. If she did say yes, then pressure would build rather quickly and I must remember not to smother her. She still has to enjoy free time with her friends! I started laughing at myself again. Working myself up already and she hadn't even said yes yet…

Walking back upstairs I wondered what lifestyle she would want. What should I be after I graduate? Everyone said I would be good at politics, but it didn't really interest me. Maybe opening my own business would be best? Most of our family seemed to be into that sort of thing. What would my products be, though? This was so silly! Electronics would be cool. It would have to be something long lasting. Just technology in general would be the best, then. Wait a second… She hasn't said yes yet! I can discuss this with HER later if I wanted! Focus on the present!

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, I fell over onto the bed. Just laying there staring at the ceiling, I cleared my mind. No thoughts… Sleep… Heal…

My eyes shot open when I felt someone touching me. Glancing down quickly, I saw Kisa and relaxed slightly. It would seem that she lifted the bottom of my shirt up, and was lying on my bed and tracing her finger around the muscles on my stomach. They had developed as a byproduct of my martial arts training. It wasn't like I put much value in having huge, bulging muscles. Kisa seemed oddly interested in them, however, so I just watched. The odd thing is that she had seen me with my shirt off before and had never even noticed.

Looking up at me all of a sudden, she smiled. I returned her smile almost instantly. If only I could just tell her right now!

"Guess what, Hiro?" she asked excitedly all of a sudden.

"What?" I followed.

"I've decided to join the student government!" she announced. My brain stopped responding at the completely foreign concept that just entered it.

"Um… You are? That's great!" I responded on autopilot. She nodded happily.

"Yuki says that it's a great way to start gaining confidence in yourself so I'm taking his advice. It will probably keep me rather busy, but I don't mind. As long as I can get my homework done still…" she explained.

Sadly my brain started functioning again. Probably keep her rather busy? More so than she already is? She doesn't mind as long as she can do her homework! This could turn out so poorly it wasn't funny. Almost half a second after my brain was working again… it shorted. All I could do was fall backwards onto my pillows then and close my eyes. Go away for a little while, World…

"Um… Are you ok, Hiro?" Kisa asked quietly. My head hurt so I didn't bother to say anything. "Hiro?" I heard again. Not fast enough, World! "Hiro!" I was being shaken now. Oh yeah. If I was really injured, I'm sure all of that shaking would be perfect for my condition…

Sitting up abruptly, I wrapped both hands around a bewildered Kisa. Letting gravity take over again I dropped after grabbing her. She was pulled on top of me. Why couldn't I just ask her?

"Hiro?" Kisa asked, still a little confused.

"Kisa, how much do you love me?" I asked vaguely.

"What do you mean? OH! I will still spend time with you, Hiro!" she exclaimed all of a sudden. Not quite what I was trying to hint at, but enough for now. Her eyes were getting watery again, so I brushed her cheek. She needed support in this decision. She smiled at me.

"Don't worry. I support you fully in this decision!" I replied.

"Thanks, Hiro…" she spoke softly. She nuzzled against my hand then. I slid it down her neck and onto her shoulder. She frowned then while looking at me. What was wrong now? After a few moments of seeming to look through me, she glanced over at the entry to my room. I followed her gaze but couldn't seem to note anything unusual… Suddenly she got up off the bed and looked around the corner into the hallway? What on earth is wrong with her? I sat up and watched her with a questioning look. What was she trying to find? She retreated slightly back into the room and seemed to stare at my doorframe for a few moments. Getting slightly concerned, I rotate around and slide my legs off the side of the bed. Seeing the movement, she glanced over at me.

"Um… What are you doing, Kisa?" I asked hesitantly.

"I… I think your mother went over to my house to visit my mom for a little bit, but…" she replied. What? How did that answer my question? Is that a bad thing?

"Ok… What does that have to do with how you're acting?" I asked cautiously.

Kisa didn't answer but instead looked to her left. I glanced around her, but all I saw was my wall. Was she feeling ok? Maybe the combined pressure of everything finally became too much for her? Movement snapped me out of my thoughts. Kisa shut my door? Completely confused now, I just stared at her bewildered, but she just stood there staring into the wood of the door. After a couple more seconds, I saw her reach down with her right hand and push the lock on my door?

"Um… Why did you shut and lock my door?" I asked. This was getting VERY strange. Again, I didn't get a response.

Kisa stepped away from the door then slightly, as if afraid of it. Had she completely lost it? Standing up from the bed, I walked towards her. She turned then and looked at me. Stopping maybe three feet from her, I just looked at her with concern on my face.

"What's wrong, Kisa?" I asked. Again there wasn't a reply. Instead, she just stepped forward into me and put her hands on my chest. Naturally assuming the usual position with my arms around her I just stare into her eyes. There's something sad in them.

After a few moments of staring into my eyes, she glances down instead to my mouth. Leaning forward slowly into me she places a small kiss on my mouth, and then backs away again. She searches back into my eyes for feeling. She probably found confusion. After looking hesitant for a little while, she moved forward again and placed a second kiss on my mouth. This time she opens her mouth a little bit and allows me to slip my tongue into her mouth. This is an interesting surprise, but what's with the odd behavior? I'm still pondering this when she pushes into me more? Actually moving backwards my leg hits the bed. I fall over and land on the bed. She follows me down? Bracing with her arms, she lands a hand on either side of me. Thankfully she didn't land on me…

After gently setting herself down on me she resumes her kissing. My mind is starting to formulate what is actually happening… kind of. My conclusion is proven when she starts to slide the bottom of my shirt up! Breaking free, I manage to grab both of her arms. She looks at me with confusion.

"Stop!" I almost shouted, still out of breath… She just lays there and watches me. I'm almost trying to convince myself.

"What are you doing?" I ask in disbelief!

"Um… I thought that it would be obvious…" she said quietly, starting to turn pink.

"Ok… then why? I thought we already discussed this?" I asked.

"Well, I was talking to Mori and she said that you might actually just be telling me that you…" she started to say. The second 'Mori' left her lips I knew what had happened.

"Please don't listen to Mori from now on… I'm still perfectly happy with the relationship, so you don't need to try anything drastic," I interrupted.

Standing up then, I walked back over to the door, unlocked, and then opened it. Glancing back at Kisa, I notice that she is just looking at the floor, still a slightly pink color. That must have taken some courage on her part. Walking back over, I sat down beside her on the bed and put an arm around her.

"I thank you for the effort, though… but it can wait," I added.

"Hiro…" she said softly.

Lying back down on the bed I look up at her back.

"I'm getting tired now, though… Do you want to take a nap with me?" I asked. She turned around then and lied down beside me. I guess that would be a yes.

"Sorry about that. Mori just said that it wasn't normal that you hadn't seen me without clothes on yet…" she replied sadly. I shrugged. The way she had to work herself up like that means she definitely wasn't sure of herself… I simply reached forward and pulled her into me, rubbing her back.

"Well, don't worry about what Mori says…" I tried to comfort her.

"Thanks, Hiro…" Kisa replied before placing her hands on my chest again.

It doesn't take that long before Kisa's breathing deepens and I realize she has fallen asleep. Is she really that worried about my side of our relationship? Maybe I wasn't showing enough stability and had started to worry her. Of course, talking to Akito was probably the catalyst of all of this. If only I was prepared to tell her the truth…

* * *

**School Depression**

* * *

Kisa stayed with me the entire vacation. Her mother decided to allow her to stay an extra week into school as well! I wonder how much my news had influenced that decision. In a way, I was prepared for the shift, but it still takes me in awe. Kisa could slip from girlfriend mode to best friend mode almost instantly. 

Walking through the first floor hallway, I think about all of Kisa's new responsibilities. She made it onto the student government! This semester was six times as worse than last semester. TALKING to Kisa was proving to be a challenge! Luckily, I had pretty much felt back to normal. It was now five weeks into the semester. Hatori did his checkup last week and I was healing up beautifully. There is a scar on my left shoulder, though, along with a small one on my chest. These were nothing to pay for the results though! Now if only I could ASK her!

Completely lost in thought, I didn't even realize that I had walked past Haru. He starts walking along side of me and I finally notice that he's there.

"Oh… Hey, Haru," I reply dryly.

"Hey, Hiro. How goes the mission?" he asks cryptically.

"Mission?" I ask, voicing my thoughts.

"Mission: Date Kisa…" he explains. Ah…

"Not the greatest. I haven't even TALKED to her for two weeks. Seeing her is not an option," I reply.

We start walking up the stairs to the third floor. We had the same class up there and I forgot that he usually waits for me on the first floor. When I told him about the Akito talk, he couldn't have been much prouder of me. If only I could just ask!

"Ouch. I know she is busy with her homework, friends, and student government but you haven't seen her for two WEEKS! If I had to go that long without Rin I would freak out," he spoke.

"Somehow you just aren't helping my mood…" I replied with a venomous undertone.

"Sorry. I could try for you if you want?" he offered.

"No… She would take that badly and blame herself for not being near enough for me to be able to ask her myself," I replied.

"You DO have her pinned down fairly well," he commented.

"I've only been dating her since eighth grade…"

We made it to the third floor and rounded the corner. My mind froze then. Haru stopped at the same time I did so he must have seen it too. Kisa… She was standing in the hallway near the locker side chatting with a boy. Why was she talking with him? My mind started jumping to conclusions again and I think Hatsuharu sensed it.

"Relax, Hiro… I don't think she's replaced you…" he spoke calmly. I just took a deep breath and walked forward with Haru following a few steps behind me. Sadly my classroom was past them.

When I got close enough to hear the conversation I discovered that he was actually a member of the student government and felt better. They probably wouldn't like me barging in on their conversation, so I decided to just let them talk. We walked right behind them then. As we were starting to continue down the hallway, Haru seemed like he was about to say something. It never came out because Kisa turned.

"Oh! Hey, Haru! I almost didn't see you walking by," she exclaimed. That hurt a little bit, but I guess I don't have black and white hair to stick out in a crowd. If she didn't notice me she probably didn't want to talk with me. I decided to just keep walking.

I heard Haru's voice then. "Um… Hiro?" he asked calmly. Don't be stupid Haru… she doesn't want to talk to me.

"Hiro?" I heard faintly as I turned into the classroom. Whatever…

Sitting down in the classroom, I took out my book and notepad. After about three minutes, Haru walked in and took his seat beside me. I just continued looking over my math answers.

"She feels really bad now," Haru stated. That's nice…

"It's not like she wanted to talk to me anyway," I replied.

"That's harsh. I do stick out a little bit you know…" Haru added, already jumping to my conclusion in the hallway.

"I know. If she had wanted to talk with me she would have been looking for me. If she was looking for me I wouldn't have been able to walk right past her without her even noticing," I explained my reasoning.

"You could have at least said hello," he spoke softly.

"There wasn't a point. It would have been uncomfortable," I replied.

"I almost think you're taking my advice TOO much to heart. I said to be stable so she can be with her friends, not to completely cut yourself off from her."

"I'm not the one that's controlling that. She is the one that controls how much she sees me. That's the only way that I can actually tell if she's with her friends enough. After all, this is all about her anyway," I explained. If I asked her to spend more time with me she would think that I have almost hit rock bottom and freak out. Then she would overbalance herself the other way. It was kind of annoying now that I think about it… Haru was about to open his mouth again when the teacher started his lecture.

After the class was out, Haru tried to hail me down, probably to continue our conversation but I just got up and left. I just wasn't in the mood today. Upon reaching the first floor, I saw Kisa coming out of the office with an armful of books. Memories rushed upon me and I smiled. Walking up to match her pace, I lunged forward all of a sudden and pulled the entire pile out of her hands! Easily shifting them over to my arms, I looked back at her. She had stumbled slightly but caught herself.

"Hey you jerk! Give me back those books!" I heard. Moving my face around the side of the pile, I glanced at her. She was rather red faced and looked furious! Of course, me being able to see her had the byproduct of her being able to recognize me. Her eyes widened slightly and her face went from red to pale white in almost a second. I rolled my eyes then.

"I'm sorry, Hiro! I didn't know that it was you!" she apologized. Too late… My lovely childhood memory was almost completely lost now.

"It's ok. Where are we going with these?" I asked dryly. She looked down slightly.

"They're going to the records room," she responded quietly. I nodded and started walking there. Footsteps approached my left side and I recalled times when she used to constantly follow me around. Now I was following her… blindly.

We reached the records room door and she unlocked it.

"Um… normal students aren't supposed to enter the record room, so…" she stated hesitantly after she opened the door. Well, I was just going to stand there holding the door open anyway, but so be it… I handed her the stack of books. She entered the record room and the door slid shut. I sighed. I wonder how many things she has to do after this. Shaking my head, I decided that I would see if I could find her at lunch and walked off.

Sitting down at the table for lunch, Yoko sits down at my table. He is now pretty much my only actual "friend" in school. Yeah, I'm not very outgoing, but the only thing people see me as is "Kisa's Boyfriend," so that kind of makes it difficult to get to know people. Ichijo has been seeing Mori for quite a while now and usually Mori doesn't eat in the cafeteria.

"Hey, Hiro!" Yoko exclaims as he approaches.

"Hey, Yoko. Do you know where Kisa is? I can't find her in the lunch line," I asked.

"She told me to tell you that she's eating in the government room today because they're backed up," he replies. My head hits the table shortly afterwards. It was useless…

"You don't seem to see very much of her anymore," Yoko points out. I couldn't help it. I started laughing.

"That was the understatement of the century," I commented. I really had to get her cell phone number…

"How long has it been since you had a date with her?" Yoko asked.

"Date? What's that?" I asked sarcastically. Yoko shuddered.

"That bad huh?"

"Worse yet…" I say, finishing the last bite of my sandwich and standing up.

"Well, good luck with her then. Talk to you later!" he says as I walk off.

"Later, Yoko!" I say as I exit the lunchroom.

There was nowhere really to go for the next twenty minutes, so I decided to walk around the building a few times to release some energy. After walking down the school steps I notice quite a large crowd of people off to my right about seventy feet. Walking towards it to see what all the fuss is about, I hear a primal scream of rage. Where have I heard that before? "Black" Haru! I break into a run then. Breaking though the loose ring of people I make it to the middle and see Haru being tag teamed by six guys at once!

"Hey look! It's her other friend! Get him too!" I heard as I entered the circle. That might not be the wisest of ideas…

Two of the boys charged me then. I just stood there with my hands still in my pockets. Come on… swing at me. The one on my right swings first. I simply turn sideways and lean backwards out of the way of the punch. The other kid will be swinging by now, I thought. Ducking forwards, I hear the sound of the air going by my head. Ha! As I duck, I drop into a crouch and lash out with a sweep to the right guy's foot. He goes down sideways, but I keep spinning and bring my left foot into his stomach. He goes rolling across the ground and doesn't move. The left guy tries to kick me after that, but I bring my right leg up into a block and his foot deflects harmlessly. Using the same leg, I rapidly reprisal and put the foot into his stomach. As he bends over, I lash out again with the foot and it goes into the side of his head, and he is knocked off his feet.

Ignoring my two unconscious opponents I casually walk towards Haru, with my hands still in my pockets, and watch him for a little bit. He actually lifts one of the guys off the ground and smashes him into his other friend. Haru in his "black" form used pretty much raw strength. He probably noticed me by now because the next person that charged he just sent flying in my direction. After bracing I stop his forward momentum with a kick to the chest, effectively clothes lining him. He hit my foot hard enough to lose consciousness, so I ignored him too. Haru was just beating the snot out of the last guy standing. Walking over to him, I finally pulled my right hand out and placed it upon Haru's shoulder. Ducking Haru's first punch, I stood back up. Haru seemed to have shifted back to "white" form almost instantly.

"Did I do all of this?" he asked calmly.

"I got two and a half, you took out the rest…" I explained.

"Half?" he asked.

"You threw him at me so I signified that half was yours," I replied, shrugging.

"Oh… Well it would seem that I have been injured a little bit," he replied. Glancing up and down him I noted a series of cuts and scrapes.

"Not too badly," I commented.

"My left leg is injured," he replied.

Shaking my head, I supported his left arm. "Where to? Nurse or Hatori?"

"Hatori would probably be better, if you don't mind walking there," he answered.

"Why not? Not like I was gaining much from today's school day anyway…" I replied.

We walked off through the crowd, ignoring the gawking stares of awe. After about ten minutes, we were nearing the residential district.

"What was all that about, Haru?" I finally asked.

He hesitated before responding, "Kisa's fan club… They wanted to get us out of the way again."

Uh oh… I sped up my walking.

"What's wrong, Hiro?" Haru asked.

"You should really use that brain of yours more often…" I replied snidely.

"Why do you say that?" he asked calmly.

"Their plan? I think it worked…" I added. Haru's eyes widened.

"Turn around…" he told me then.

"Even if I bring you back there, you wouldn't be able to help me much anyway," I explained. He lowered his head slightly.

It only took us five more minutes to get to Hatori's office. Before he could even ask me what happened I was out the door again. Sprinting the entire way back to the school, I managed to make it in a total of five minutes. Lunch wouldn't be over yet. Almost, though… Entering the school grounds, I decided to find Kisa as soon as possible. Wandering back over to the government office, that same boy she was talking with earlier was just exiting.

"Hey! Do you know where Kisa is?" I called to him.

"Uh… Yeah. She said she wanted to try to meet a friend in the cafeteria before lunch was over," he replied. Oh no…

"Thanks!" I called out, running towards the cafeteria. Why did she pick today to start trying to talk to me?

Rushing down the hallway I came to one of the "T" splits. Movement caught my eye down the perpendicular hallway and I skidded to a halt. A large group of boys was gathered down the hallway. Too suspicious… I ran towards them to investigate. As I neared, I heard excited voices talking.

"Wow… I've never seen a girl fight like THAT!"

"Did we finally get her?"

"Looks like it…"

"Go and check her!"

"No! You go and see if she's out…"

Getting closer, they probably heard my footsteps. A few of them turned around to see me running down the hallway. Taking better analysis of the scene, I noticed that there were about fifteen boys in the hallway, five of which were laying in various stages of disarray and not moving. When the boys in the front turned around, it gave me an excellent view of the girl they were talking about. Not that I needed the excellent view because this girl I could probably recognize from almost any distance and angle. A tingling sensation started to flow though me as the blood started to rush to my head.

Kisa was lying in the center of the hallway. It looked like blood was coming out of her nose and mouth. I felt anger start to build through my entire system. There was no stopping it! It filled me entirely and my vision hazed slightly. Everything became a blur of motion and I could barely hear them shouting and screaming…

* * *

**Repercussions**

* * *

The principle actually came to me this time. It must have been some scene when he arrived. Picture me kneeling there in the center of the hallway holding Kisa, blood everywhere, and fifteen unconscious boys lying in various stages of disorder. 

"What happened, Hiro?" He shouted as he ran towards me.

"This… GANG attacked Kisa," I replied. They would have to do something about the club now! Not bothering to look up, I continued to clean her mouth and nose up. She was breathing still and her pulse was strong.

"Oh no…" the principle almost whispered. I stood up cradling Kisa in my arms.

"I'm bringing her to our doctor," I announced as I walked past him. All he did was nod. Walking down the hallway, I never took my eyes off of her face. Why wasn't I here for her? Haru could have finished that fight by himself! I sighed.

I'm pretty sure the entire school had heard about the fight already. A large crowd was gathering already, but they split apart as I walked past. Most of them only wanted to see the carnage at the other end of the hallway. Stupid vultures… Leaving the school, I proceeded quickly to the residential district. Running most of the way there, I made it in ten minutes. Pushing the door open, I quickly rushed into the main Sohma complex. Using my foot, I knocked on Hatori's door. After a few seconds Hatori opened it. He saw me first and started to get a questioning look, and then he glanced down. His eyes widened as he quickly turned back around.

"Let's get her over to this bed!" he shouted to me. He had two beds out in the main area. One was occupied by Haru. I placed Kisa on the empty one.

"Oh no!" Haru spoke softly. Pulling up a chair, I sat down beside Kisa's bed and held her hand.

I had precious little time to think on the way over here but now it all flooded in. How had I let this happen? Hatori started to bandage the minor nicks and cuts she had. He had gotten all the way down the left arm when her eyes slowly opened. She looked over at me and smiled, and then glanced over at Hatori and sighed.

"Did you carry me all this way, Hiro?" she asked. I simply nodded, happy that she was speaking. "I'm sorry…"

"There isn't a reason to apologize. What happened to you?" I asked.

"I wanted to try to get to the cafeteria before you left. The group of boys ambushed me on the way though the halls. They tried to haul me out of the back exit, but I broke loose. I tried to defend myself, but there were far too many…" she explained.

"I was looking for you at the government office. The boy you were talking to earlier said that you had gone to the lunch room in search of me. I happened to notice the commotion you caused and investigated."

"How many did I get?" she asked. I laughed then.

"Five of them," I answered. She smiled.

"That's good. At least I made SOME of them pay!" she exclaimed.

"I made the rest pay…" I added. She smiled at me.

"Is the school finally going to DO something about that gang now?" Hatori asked.

"They will have to. This little event is breaching laws now," I said.

"I will call the police right now and explain about your parts. I don't want them trying to talk with Kisa," Hatori spoke as he walked off. Kisa sat up then.

"How are you feeling?" I asked her.

"Better. I have a little bit of a headache, though," she added with a laugh. I smiled.

"And don't ask me to go back to school because I'm staying here," I said before she could ask. She just smiled at me again.

"Hiro…" she spoke quietly.

I just held her hand until Hatori came back. He walked back over to her and examined her arm.

"Well, it would seem that everything is bandaged. The only problem is your ankle. It's slightly sprained. I would like you to stay off it for the rest of the week," he commented.

"It's only Tuesday, though! I will be missing three and a half days of school!" she exclaimed.

"Doctors orders, young lady! The student government can do without you for three days," Hatori reinforced. Kisa put her head down.

"Looks like it's my turn to look after you," I joked. Kisa just started smiling at me. Walking towards her, I held out my arm. She got up off the bed and carefully landed on her right foot only. Probably expecting me to support her as she walked, she extended her left arm.

Scooping her up off the ground completely, I moved my right arm under her and my left to hold her against me. "You don't have to carry me the entire way, Hiro," Kisa said softly. I ignored it and headed out the door…

* * *

**My Turn**

* * *

We finally arrived back at Kisa's house. It must have been quite an interesting sight for her mother. I show up during school hours, carrying Kisa in my arms. Of course, she panicked, but calmed down a little after we took turns describing what happened. Kisa's mother had to call down to the school immediately to voice her complaints. I just carried Kisa up to her room. 

Setting her gently down on the bed, I sat down with her. Kisa just gazed at me for a few moments before actually saying anything.

"Thanks for what you did for me today. I'm not sure if those boys would have gone to the lengths of killing me, but they probably would have done evil things to me while I was unconscious…" she finally said.

"Isn't a prince supposed to protect his princess?" I asked. Kisa smiled at my nicknames. I continued though, "I just wish that I could have been there to help you BEFORE they knocked you out."

"Don't blame yourself, Hiro. I just have to learn to stick closer to you from now on in school," she answered. What?

"Don't blame yourself either, Kisa. The boys are the originators of the problem," I explained. Kisa sighed then.

"It just keeps adding up, doesn't it?" she asked then.

"What keeps adding up?" I asked.

"How much I actually owe you," she explained. How many times do I have to tell her?

"Sorry… It's still far into the negatives," I replied, jokingly.

"Hiro…" she said sadly. Then she laughed?

"What's so funny?" I inquired.

Kisa seemed hesitant for a moment, but finally spoke, "Well, it's just that for some silly reason… I almost WANT to owe you." What? That didn't exactly make sense. "It makes me feel like I'm even more connected to you," she finished. That's rather silly, but I guess it kind of makes… a little… sense… I think. Then I started getting an idea!

"I have a way you could pay me back a little bit… if you wanted to, Kisa," I commented then. Kisa's face lit up and she moved closer to me on the bed. Wow.

"What! Anything!" she exclaimed rapidly. Hmm… Pick a time and place.

"When's your next big test?" I asked. She looked confused.

"Um… about six weeks from now, on Friday… Why?" she asked. Six weeks! Could I wait that long?

"Saturday, then. The day after the test. Will you go out with me to the park?" I asked. Kisa's face went from confusion to happiness. She nodded vigorously.

"Of course I will go with you on a date to the park! I was thinking you were going to ask for more," she said then. She had no idea what I was actually going to ask. The park would be a nice and peaceful place. Excellent atmosphere as well! Now all I had to do is wait…

* * *

**Chapter 12 – End!**

* * *

**Author's Note: **

Ack! I'm sorry! When I got into the first week of college I had to change all of my classes around because I switched majors... This gave me a HUGE amount of credit hours and my life has all but disappeared. My editor is extremely busy with her college too so, with the combination of neither of us having a life now, the updating is going REALLY slowly. These next few chapters should be good however so hopefully it will make up for the slow speed.

This chapter was mainly wrap-up from the one before it. I did include a little more fluff and violence however so it wasn't entirely pointless... -blinks- I did receive a lot of questions and constructive criticism this time however, which is a good thing as it helps me improve myself. I hope you all enjoyed the small chapter and I'll TRY to hurry with the next one. Not guaranteeing anything however. Thank you for reading so far!

Ja Matte Ne,

Angsty Tiger

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**Individual Review Responses:**

**rbzodiac612:** Well part of angst involved a little bit of drama at least, right? -chuckles- Remind me not to make you mad though. -gulps- Sharp objects are scary... especially when flying at me at high velocity... Glad you liked the chapter! I hope you like this one as much.

**lightningstrxu:** You're probably right... but they're engaged, not married. People can be engaged for YEARS before actually getting married... so you shouldn't have to be concerned. As for the Akito thing? I'm fairly certain that they said it's some kind of compulsion effect. Like the curse FORCES them to like her... or at least not blatantly attack her. blink blink Meh. Thank you for reviewing again however! -gives cookie-

**Kisshu-luv:** -laughs- Wow... Someone had LOTS of sugar before reviewing today! Don't worry, they won't become EXTREMELY short. I did cut down the length of a couple chapters however. (The one was over a hundred pages... -shudders- ) I'm just trying to NOT make my readers go brain-dead from so much reading... Only number three though? -sticks out tongue- Thank you for liking the chapter though. I'm trying to keep the quality as high as possible, including grammar and spelling. Hence the needing an editor to catch things too. Keep reading! ...oh... and thank you again, Julia-kun. I'd have a lot more mistakes without you... -blinks-

**Anonymous:** Errr... -blinks- Ok... I think you're slightly confused so I'll try to clarify you on a few points. For one, there IS a spoiler alert on my summery. In chapter 97, it's revealed that Akito is actually a female. I'm just going off that. About the currency however... I've actually got a couple of questions about this so it's good to clarify. In the first chapter, I mentioned that this story was going to be "Americanized" in some ways. This applies to more than just the honorifics however. I experimented with converting everything to Yen but it was really messy so I decided to keep it simplistic. Another Americanized thing would be schooling at this point. I'll try to point out other things that I changed as I remember them... With that said, a five digit number would actually be seven to eight digits in Yen. Also, just because they get engaged, doesn't mean they're married yet. The Sohma family is supposed to develop much faster mentally than normal people so I figured it would be safe for him to start thinking about things like that. Another thing you seem confused on is the store and Hiro's plans. As of this point (Chapter 12), the store has already been revealed as the jewelry shop that he got the ring from. His plans were already revealed as getting the ring for engagement with Kisa. I might not have clarified this enough in my story and I apologize if you were confused. At this point I don't plan on turning this story into a pointless Lemon or Lime anytime in the future. That would defeat the cute and fluffy goodness that I'm trying to show here. This won't stop me from showing a LITTLE more intimate situations with Hiro and Kisa, but it will be nothing close to a Lime even... My suggestion is to simply keep reading. You shouldn't be disappointed... As for an ending... I haven't decided anything yet. As it says in the summery, the story should end shortly after them graduating from college. I might do a sequel, but only if I get some really good ideas. As for Utopia... err... I think that's going to at LEAST have to wait for a sequel. -blink blink- Yes, this story SHOULD give you an accurate view as to my opinions about relationships... but that's not the reason I'm writing it. It's my contribution to the wonderful couple of Hiro and Kisa... oh... and to spread my wings a little on writing. I DO hope to become an actual author one day... Thank you for the constructive criticism however and I hope I was able to clarify a few confusing points for you. I'm sure you weren't the only reader that was slightly confused at this point so I'm glad you spoke up. Please enjoy the rest of the story...

**Duel Soul:** Thank you for reviewing! Kisa's confidence is steadily growing but she's not there yet. I try to tell the story mainly from Hiro's viewpoint but I can see where that could get biased at times. I answered the Akito question in the above reply so I'll conserve space here. Thank you for reviewing and I'm glad you liked the chapter. I hope you like this one as well! -smile-

**5w33tL1ttl35u1c1d3:** Thank you for reviewing! Yes, they're still in High School. As I explained above, engagement is a little different than marriage and he hasn't ASKED her yet. Some wait YEARS between engagement and marriage and, if the mindset of the Sohma family really DOES mature rapidly, Hiro would probably start to think like this rather soon now, so I felt it was safe. Thank you for your review. I hope you continue reading! -smiles-

**SlippingAway117:** Mmm... cookies. Yes, it does get a little gory from time to time but I didn't think it was TOO graphic. (If "Graphic" could be applied to reading. It probably could...) Thank you for liking my story however and I hope you continue reading.

**Princess Lady Subaru:** No problem for the review. I still have to read your latest chapter, but I'm getting to it. I'll leave another after I'm done. Hope you're enjoying the story so far. You must have had a lot of it to catch up on since you left... -sticks out tongue- Well it only gets better after this so I hope you keep reading. Thanks for the review!


	13. Disappointment

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Disappointment**

* * *

Staying with Kisa for three days was kind of nice, but it ended way too quickly. My excuse was assisting Kisa's mother around the house while Kisa couldn't walk. My mother, of course, didn't care. Kisa was probably the only one that really didn't understand why it was so easy for me to arrange it. Oh well. While I was there, Kisa did say that she wanted to start training with me again because of the accident. 

Then school began again. Things got worse rather quickly. Kisa switched back to best friend mode again as soon as she got back to school. This wasn't really much of a surprise, but not talking with her at all is hard. The only time I really ran into her was accidentally when she was working for the student government. These were always brief encounters though. Hopefully she hadn't forgotten about our date…

Another bad thing that I encountered was that most people were now scared of me. Yes, I had taken down the gang that attacked Kisa, but I had done so single handedly with only my fists. It had also been brutal and most of the students were hospitalized for several weeks from my show of anger. Everyone seemed to be frightened of this and avoided me. Whatever…

It would also seem that the boy I encountered before is actually Kisa's direct superior in the student government. Kisa reporting to and being ordered around by a boy did get my anger rising but I couldn't really do much about it. Kisa didn't SEEM to like him like that…

No matter what I do, I can't shake this feeling of drifting, though. The more Kisa hangs out with her friends, the more independent she becomes. While this is a good thing overall, she is also completely forgetting about me. What if Hatsuhara was wrong, though? What if eventually it gets to a point where she just decides to drop one of the sides in favor of the other? Or even an unknown third side?

Thinking these thoughts as I sit on the guardrail of the school's main entry stairs, I glance down at the beautiful, golden-brown haired girl near me. Sure, Kisa may not actually talk to me in school that often, but that didn't stop me from playing guardian angel for her. Most of the time she didn't even know I was there. She had a clipboard out and looked like she was interviewing students. This time though…

"Hiro?!?" she asked in surprise when she turned around.

"How did your test go today?" I asked. I doubt this will work, but it's worth a try.

"You knew I had a test today?" she asked me back. I suddenly felt like crying.

"Yes. You told me about two months ago," I stated. Come on Kisa… You can't forget forever… Wait… Don't answer that.

"I did. Wow. I would never be able to remember something that long!" she exclaimed happily.

"I know. That's why I'm here reminding you," I commented. She looked perplexed.

"Oh no… Don't tell me I've forgotten something again. Why does my memory always… OUR DATE!" she almost shouted the last part.

"Is tomorrow…" I add. Her face went from fear to relief almost instantly.

"Thank goodness… Don't worry! I will be there!" she exclaimed, happy again. Why does she never remember our dates? Are they just not important enough for her? Does she still love me? Did I just get scarred for nothing? Questions flooded though my mind.

"Well if you really want to come, of course," I added. At least I would give her the chance to opt out.

Kisa frowned all of a sudden. "Why wouldn't I want to come?" she asked.

"Well, you didn't remember the date at all, so I didn't really know how important it was to you. If you had something else to do…" I let my comments trail off. Kisa's eyes widened slightly.

"No… I definitely want to go," she said happily. I sighed, dropping down from my perch.

"Well, I guess I will see you later then," I added quietly after I landed. Standing up, I turned around and started to walk off.

"Hiro?" I heard her ask from behind me. Turning back around, I looked at her. Her eyes were sad.

"I know I have been pretty much ignoring you for a long time now, but I do still love you. I am just REALLY busy. If you want, I will try to spend more time with you…" she finished. She sounded really guilty.

"Well, I guess we will see how tomorrow goes then…" I replied sadly. Kisa's eyes widened considerably.

"What does THAT mean?!?" she asked, slightly worried. I just shrugged, turned around, and walked off…

* * *

**Saturday**

* * *

The wind felt really good up here. Mother would probably laugh at me, but I didn't care. My eyes opened slightly. My viewpoint was upside down. Balancing on my right hand from the top of our fence, I stayed perfectly straight with my feet in the air. Every once in a while, I would switch hands and continue to balance. 

The sun was just starting to come up. I had way too much energy and couldn't sleep, so I decided to do a workout instead. This got rid of some of my nervous energy. I didn't really blame myself, though. It's not every day that you ask a girl to marry you. I sighed. Kisa was supposed to come over here for breakfast and then we were going to spend the entire day enjoying ourselves. The park wouldn't be the end of the date, but hopefully things would be that much sweeter afterwards.

Kisa would leave at seven o'clock and be here by roughly ten after. I sighed and glanced at my watch. It was five after seven. This would be the best opportunity. Reaching up into my pocket, I pulled out my cell phone. Dialing Kisa's house, her mother answered.

"Hello… Mom," I replied.

"OH! Hello, Hiro! Why are you calling?" she asked. "You know Kisa has already left."

"You told me to tell you when the date was going to be that I asked her," I replied.

"I thought so! Oh, I wish you good luck!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks… Talk to you later, Mom!" I hung up after that. Sliding the phone back into my pocket, I flipped to my other hand.

A couple of minutes later, I could see Kisa walking down my street. She was looking down at the pavement though and seemed kind of nervous? Her Mother had better not have told her! She walked right under me without noticing, however.

"You're rather observant today…" I commented. Stopping with a jerk, she looked up smiling.

"That's not exactly where I would have expected you to wait," Kisa teased. Flipping off the top of the fence, I drop the fifteen feet to the ground and land relatively softly.

"That was the point…" I teased back. Kisa smiled then and leaned forward into me, planting a small kiss on my lips. After so many weeks, even that small kiss felt so nice. I sighed contently and Kisa giggled.

Both of us walked inside where Mother was already preparing breakfast. She knows what I'm up against today so she was preparing extra. Kisa just munched lightly at hers. She seemed lost in thought. Mine was gone in a matter of minutes and I just sat there, watching her still on her first dish. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore.

"What's wrong, Kisa?" I asked, concerned.

"Well… I'm just a little nervous, that's all," she spoke hesitantly. Uh oh…

"Why? Don't you want to go?"

"It feels like I've upset you for some reason. After what you said yesterday, it almost seems like this is my last chance…" she explained. Yesterday? That?!? I started laughing.

"If you're talking about me saying 'we'll see how tomorrow goes,' then you're mistaken. I was simply referring to if you would actually remember the date overnight," I joked. Kisa laughed.

"I'm not THAT forgetful, am I?" she asked. She seemed to loosen up considerably.

"You can be fairly forgetful at times. I was just teasing, though," I explained. Kisa just smiled at me before starting to eat again. Her food disappeared a lot quicker this time and soon she mimicked my leaning position in her chair.

"Shall we be off for some fun then, Princess?" I asked. Kisa nodded happily.

We walked over to the water park first. I figured we could probably have fun until about noon here, and then get something to eat for lunch. Unexpected variables soon showed up, though. Ichijo, Mori, and Inoue were at the park when we got there. Kisa started talking with them rather casually. This wasn't going exactly as planned, but I suppose if I could get her out of here by noon, everything would be alright.

Four hours later, I was floating on my back in the pool. Kisa had taken twenty-seven trips down the big slide by now. Sadly, I was bored enough to count them. This was supposed to be a date, but seeing her friends had switched her over to best friend mode. This would be bad if she got stuck in it. The day went overcast shortly and I just stared up at the gray sky.

The pool rippled for probably the hundredth time since I had gotten in. This time though, I felt something brush against my arm. Looking to my left, I saw Kisa mimicking my position and holding my left hand.

"You seemed so sad over here, so I guessed that I wasn't spending enough time with you. This is a date after all…" she explained. Smiling at her, I inhaled deeply.

Flipping backwards from the surface of the water, I dived down towards the bottom of the pool. Kisa followed me down and gave me a questioning stare underwater. Pulling her closer, I repeated our actions of the other day. I could almost hear her giggling as we kissed. Both of us drifted back up towards the surface, still kissing. We broke surface then and I heard Inoue and Mori laugh. It didn't stop us, though. After a while, I broke the kiss for air and just smiled at Kisa. Both of us drifted together until about one, before deciding that we were hungry. Inoue, Mori, and Ichijo wanted to go with us, but I said no this time. Kisa looked surprised at my decision to actually drag her away from her friends today, but I considered my events to be far more important this time.

After a light lunch downtown, we headed over to the park for dessert. Of course, Kisa didn't know that it was for more than just dessert, but she would find out soon. Nervousness was an understatement by this point. We walked over to the crepe vendor and I bought us two crepes. We sat down on our favorite bench to eat them. My hands were shaking slightly, but I still managed to eat.

After a couple of minutes, my crepe was done and Kisa was just finishing. Watching her carefully, I brushed at the right side of her hair. She turned to me then and smiled, sliding into me on the bench.

"It's still a nice day, even though it looks like it's going to rain," Kisa spoke softly.

"It's a perfect day," I said confidently. Kisa glanced over at me with a slightly questioning look. I just sighed contently.

"Why do you say that?" Kisa inquired. I did a small gulp. Showtime…

"Kisa… I do have something to ask you," I said then.

"Oh? What is it?" she asked happily. Reaching into my right pocket, I felt the black box. Hoping with all of my heart, I started to withdraw the box. Then…

"Kisa?!?" I heard someone shout. Quickly sliding the box back into my pocket, I glanced over at the source of the untimely interruption, not that I had to.

"Sis!" Kisa exclaimed loudly. My irritation level rose sharply. Why did this seem so familiar?

Tohru walked up with a trailing Yuki and Kyo. Those two almost never left her side anymore. I was just waiting for the sparks to fly when one of them decided to ask her out…

"How are you today, Kisa?" Tohru asked sweetly. I felt like throwing up.

"Great, Sis! I'm having a lot of fun so far…" she replied. Well that made me happy, I guess.

"How could you have fun hanging out with that brat, Hiro…?" Kyo commented sarcastically. Why couldn't I just pummel him right here?

"Kyo! That's not very nice! I love Hiro!" Kisa defended. I was happy again.

"I was actually looking for you, Kisa! Me and a couple of my friends were going to have a sleepover at Shigure's and wanted to know if you could make it," Tohru started. Oh no… getting bad flashbacks now.

"Who's going to be there?" Kisa inquired happily.

"Yuki, Kyo, Haru, Kagura, Hana, and Uo so far," she explained. I noticed that I wasn't listed in there.

"Oh! Cool! What events do you have planned?!?" Kisa asked excitedly. Here we go…

* * *

**Lost Cause**

* * *

I felt like screaming! Forty minutes later, I find myself sitting on the same bench listening to Yuki, Kyo, Tohru, and Kisa talk about a party that I wasn't even invited to! After another ten minutes, Momiji and Haru showed up and joined in the conversation too. This was too familiar. I sighed but nobody heard me. Nobody knew that I was about to ask Kisa to marry me. This was so stupid. 

After another five minutes or so, I saw a couple girls run into the park. They were looking directly at Kisa, so I could only assume that they had seen her and wanted to talk. I was debating how to get Kisa away from all of these people when they finally reached us.

"Kisa!" One shouted followed by "We found you!" from another.

"Um… Do you need something?" Kisa asked rather formally.

"We just got permission at the board meeting to purchase a scanner and printer for the government office!" The first one shouted excitedly.

"Wanna come and help us pick some out?" the second asked. "We have quite a high spending limit too!" What?!? Sorry, but she's out on a date with…

"I guess I can…" she said after a moment's deliberation. I almost felt something inside me break. She turned around to look at Tohru then. "Do I pretty much have all the details of the party?" she asked. Why do things like this always happen to me?

Tohru nodded and smiled at her. Feeling like crying, screaming, and breaking something at the same time, I finally decided to try sometime later. Today wasn't working and now Kisa was distracted… I stood up from the park bench, not that I was quite expecting the reaction I got.

Kyo and Yuki saw me stand up instantly. Momiji and Haru glanced over after they saw Kyo and Yuki jump slightly. Tohru, seeing everyone shift their gaze at once, turned around too. Kisa, who was absorbed in Tohru at the moment, noticed and turned around as well. Everyone was just staring at me. Well… better than last time, I guess. Kisa started at me for a couple of seconds before turning slightly white.

"OH! I'm sorry, Hiro! Oh no… Um…" she started panicking. Both of the girls looked at me oddly.

"It's ok. I guess we can try our date again some other day…" I said sadly. The girls' previous stares of questioning shifted to stares of shock. Tohru looked like she was about to freak out.

"I promised that I would spend all day with you, though!" Kisa exclaimed.

"Don't worry about it. I'm flexible and I can tell you really want to go with your friends, so…" I answered, starting to turn around.

"Well… Um… Wait? Didn't you say that you had something to ask me just a couple of seconds before we were interrupted?" she asked. Oh no… There's no way I'm doing THAT in front of all these people… Momiji's and Haru's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their heads!

"It's not that important, I guess. Talk to you later," I replied as I turned around and walked off…

Lying on the cross bar of the swings in the children's portion of the playground, I balanced carefully while reaching into my pocket for my cell phone. Dialing the number quickly, with slightly shaky hands, I was amazed when it rang through and Kisa's mother answered.

"Hello, Aunty," I replied.

"Hiro? What happened to 'mom'?" she asked, confused.

"It's not happening today…" I stated with a slightly angry voice.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Tohru happened. Then her student government friends came along and hauled her off to do shopping," I explained.

"Not again! I thought I raised my daughter better than this," she replied.

"Don't worry about it. I forgave her," I added.

"Maybe you should just tell her off once… it might get through her skull a little better," her mother commented. I couldn't stop my eyes from widening.

"I don't think I could ever yell at Kisa," I answered.

"You're far too easy on her sometimes. Well, keep me posted," she asked.

"Will do! Talk to you later, Aunty," I replied, trying to sound happy.

"Talk to you later, Hiro," she replied before I hung up the phone.

Sliding it back into my pocket, I continued to balance while letting my legs and arms hang down. Stupid headache… It could go away at any time now. Maybe a nap would do me some good. I have wanted to try this for a while now, anyway. Closing my eyes, I visualized my exact position on the bar. Slowly calming my mind, I felt myself slip away into darkness. Quickly, I built the image of the park around me and I was still balancing on the bar. Well… no pain yet so maybe it worked. I just sighed then. If I wanted to remain sleeping, I would be restricted to this bar. It might be bad if I decided to try and move. This wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. Probably looked amusing to anyone passing by, but with my current luck some kid would probably decide to use the swings...

"You find some interesting places to lay down, Hiro," I heard Haru's voice from below me. It wasn't in my dream though. Not feeling like waking up quite yet, I just placed an image of him where the voice was coming from. It automatically started talking and mimicking him with his real voice. Now I was amused. Test time.

"I didn't want anyone bothering me," I explained.

"Well, I suppose that it would be kind of hard up there," he replied. Hmm… This was getting a little weird so I decided to actually wake up now.

Sitting up on the bar, I opened my eyes and looked down. Haru was actually there.

"Is there something you want?" I asked down to him.

"You were going to ask her, weren't you?" he asked instead of answering.

I only nodded.

"It didn't seem to turn out that great. She feels really bad now," he commented. I just rolled my eyes and lied back down.

"If she truly does feel that badly, maybe she shouldn't have forgotten entirely about me… AGAIN!" I exclaimed. Casually rolling backwards, I flipped to my feet on the bar. Launching backwards again, I landed on the bar with both hands before springing off them and spiraling off the other end to the ground. Dusting myself off, I stood up and looked back at Haru.

"You make it too easy for her to ignore you," he replied.

"But if I make any type of commotion whatsoever she thinks I have almost hit rock bottom and flips the other way, ignoring her friends," I explained.

"In this case, that would probably be a good thing," Haru commented.

"Doubtful. She will probably be spending enough time with me after I ask her," I replied.

"Then it's even better for you. Prove to her that her friends aren't as fragile as she thinks they are," he commented before walking off. I thought about it for a little while before walking over to a bench.

Lying on the bench, I simply stared into the sky and watched the clouds drift by. Ignoring the rain when it started to finally fall, I continued watching the lightening. Nature had a way of calming the mind and I had a lot to think about…

* * *

**Distracted**

* * *

Why did I keep doing stupid things? This was the same stupid mistake I had made before! It sounded like he had something important to ask me, too. Haru walked after him, but I wonder if he convinced him to at least go home and get out of the weather. I could hear the rain hitting the roof right now. How would I make THIS up to him? 

"Um… Kisa?" A voice came to my ears. Snapping out of my daze, I looked around. Oops… I was supposed to be looking at printers.

"This one doesn't have a high enough resolution for some of our posters," I said. It was so hard to think, really…

"You seem to be having trouble concentrating."

"Yeah… If you girls don't need me, I think I'm going to leave."

"Go for it. You should hurry back to your boyfriend. He seemed sad…"

Nodding in agreement, I walked out of the store. Pulling out my umbrella before stepping outside, I walk across the street and start making my way to Hiro's house. I didn't bother to knock and just wandered in. His mother turned around and smiled when she saw me. Then she glanced downward at my umbrella? No… more specifically where I had the umbrella loop tied to my hand. Why? I had closed the umbrella before leaving the entryway.

"Where's Hiro?" she finally asked. Uh oh…

"I thought he would be here, actually…" I stated guiltily.

"How did you two get separated?" she asked.

"I did something stupid… Tohru showed up in the park and I talked to her for almost an hour. I feel bad, too. He said he had something important to ask me and was about to right before Tohru came. I never found out what it was, though," I explained.

Her eyes got really big then. "Kisa!" she scolded.

"Sorry! I'm going to go look for him," I said before turning back around and walking out of the house.

Walking back into the park, I returned to the place where we were sitting. He wasn't there. Maybe he went to get a crepe? Wandering over to the crepe stand, I noted nothing in the way of Hiro. I sighed. He probably wasn't even here anymore. Turning around, I wandered towards the exit again. There was so many different places that he could be that it wasn't funny.

Normally, I probably would have walked right by him, but I just happened to notice a darker shape against the light wood of the bench. Luckily, he was wearing a black t-shirt and pants. The shirt was soaked and stuck to his skin. The shirt contoured to every muscle in his chest and it was quite attractive. His right hand was hanging off the bench and sank about an inch into the mud. His left arm was supporting his head and his left knee was up. The dark brown hair was wetted down but still didn't seem to lose that messy look in the front. Staring off into the sky, he didn't seem to notice me at all. Or maybe he did and didn't want to say anything?

I slowly started to approach. He wasn't blinking and his breathing was very slow. The rain didn't seem to bother him at all though. As I stopped at the edge of the bench, I moved the umbrella over him. One slow blink followed by a series of rapid ones and he sat up, looking at me.

"Hey, Kisa… Need something?" he asked casually. He was wearing his usual blank expression but I could only guess at the monumental amount of emotions that must be behind that mask. His eyes gave him away to a point and he looked slightly sad. I just looked down at him, smiling.

"Found you," I stated simply.

"I was lost?" he asked.

"To me anyway… but I found you again," I added.

"You always find me again. I'm used to it," he replied. This conversation meant so many things on so many different levels that I couldn't really comprehend all of them at once.

"You had something to ask me?" I reminded him, even though I doubt that he forgot.

"Nah… It wasn't important," he replied. You SAID it was…

"Well, if you're sure…" I asked.

"Positive!" he exclaimed as he stood up.

Hiro escorted me back to my house in silence. What he had to say to me was probably really important and I had screwed it up again. Why do I do things like that? We finally made it to my house.

"There. You have made it home safely, Princess," Hiro spoke then. I turned to look at him. He seemed so sad.

"Thanks for escorting me, Hiro. I'm really sorry about today," I tried to apologize.

"It's ok. You had fun and that's all that matters," he replied.

"Hiro…" I spoke. Why was he always like this?

Walking towards him then, I leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss against his lips. He almost sighed into my mouth and deepened the kiss immediately. I allowed him to slide his tongue into my mouth, hoping to relieve at least some of the pain that I have caused today. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I tried to put more into the kiss, but Hiro broke it. Oops… Maybe he wouldn't have stopped if I had just remained passive?

Backing away, he looked back up at me with a slight smile, but it seemed false. "Well, I will see you later, Princess," he said after a couple of seconds.

"Can't you stay longer?" I asked hopefully.

"Not tonight. Mother is probably worrying about me already," he explained.

"Well, I guess I will see you at school then," I replied sadly. He only nodded, however, before turning around and walking away. Standing there in my walkway, I tried desperately to think of some way to make all of this up to him. It doesn't come to me though and soon I watched him disappear into the darkness…

* * *

**Chapter 13 – End!**

* * *

**Author's Note: **

Ok... yeah. This one took me a while to get posted AND it was really short... I apologize but it was an important buildup to the next part of the story. I'll try not to take as long with the next one but college is yet again absorbing my life. My editor is suffering from the same problems, so she's running a little slow as well. Thanks for being patient.

This was a rather... angsty chapter, yes. I'll admit that I'm a little mean to Hiro sometimes but I try to stick to character as best as possible while still magnifying the fact that they are indeed older. I think I'm doing fairly well so far, even if Kisa's a little out of character. Well I hope you all enjoyed the short chapter and don't worry as the next will be longer. Thanks again!

On an entirely different note, my editor has made an absolutely AWESOME music video to my favorite pairing! "I Do I Do I Do" is a wonderfully cute (techno) love song performed by Creamy! If you want to check out the video for yourself, visit my homepage! The link is right under the picture I posted earlier in the Media section. I hope everyone likes it!

-Angsty Tiger

**Individual Review Responses: **

**lightningstrxu:** Haha! I wasn't trying to portray her daring side as much as her desperate side. Peer pressure can do horrible things to a person over time and Kisa is simply being affected by it. Hiro is a good boy though and decided that it was simply that however. Don't worry. No lemons or limes planned as of yet. (This IS kind of a spontaneous writing after all...)

**Syckitty:** I WAS kind of wondering what happened to you but we all get distracted so don't worry about it. Thank you for reviewing this chapter however. I'm glad this is your favorite Hiro x Kisa story and it certainly won't end for quite a while! At the rate I'm going, I'm expecting at LEAST forty chapters! Hehe!

**Anonymous:** Any criticism, when given in a constructive manner, can be used to improve upon the subject in question so don't feel bad. I'm sure you weren't the only one that was confused as to said topics so I'm happy to clear up the issue. As to replying to everyone, I figure if a reader takes the time to submit a review to my story, I should at least reply to their review to show that I actually read them and take each to heart. I know I like writers that reply to their reviewers when I review, so I do the same. As for a schedule? I have classes Monday through Friday and I try to write on the weekends, but homework often gets in the way. Sorry for the randomness. My editor also has her own schedule to go by and that has to be considered too. The Akito gender issue however is less explicit. The story takes place (obviously) in a future time frame. At the time I decided to let Hiro know, the manga had yet to advance further. So there's kind of a schism in the timeframe now where my story strays away from the actual plot of the manga. This was kind of unavoidable though as I started the story with only about half of the manga's storyline in mind. I'm actually pondering putting in a separate bubble of information regarding the issue in the form of a flashback but it may have to wait for a little bit still. Sorry. Does that help at least a little? Thank you for leaving such a long review! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and hope you keep reading!

**egocentric-theorem:** Ooooh! Another hyper review! They're always fun to read. I'm glad you liked my story though and thank you for reviewing. This story will prove to be MUCH longer I believe (Read Syckitty's reply.) so you should be able to continue enjoying for quite a while! -smiles-

And yes, Hiro and Kisa DO rock. They're my favorite couple, obviously. -happily munches cookies with little care for dignity-

**rbzodiac612:** Thanks for reviewing! You've been reading for quite a while now. I'm doubting that Takaya-senpai would like it if I attempted to publish her work however so this story is kind of out... I AM working on another story at the same time though but it has a slightly different genre. It's fantasy/mecha so it's kind of futuristic. There's still the adorable fluff and memorable scenes of blood and gore... just with a different storyline and characters! You ALMOST couldn't tell the difference... -blinks- Ok... enough of the shameless self-promotion! Anyone that's interested can PM me for a preview though. I'd have to send it via REALLY long PM though. Um... as for falling off eternal cliffs or being roasted alive by huge balls of fire... I'm SO happy you aren't omnipotent as I'd be dead so many times by now. I apologize for not keeping up with my emails, as I have recently, but I tend to get distracted... especially by shiny objects. Thank you for understanding and I thank you again for reviewing! Hope you liked this chapter JUST as much if not more! Hehe...

**Duel Soul:** Well I'm happy you take spoilers in stride. -wobbles- I DID kind of forget to put the spoiler warning up at first so I apologize if you're actually murderously upset and ready to tear me apart... (Now who has the overactive imagination?) Anyway, keep reading the manga and I'm glad you liked my story! I hope you review again this chapter...

**Kisshu-luv:** Somehow I pictured you with that face, too. -blink- Thanks for liking the chapter however and I hope you like this one too, even if it's short... It's certainly angsty enough though, isn't it? Heh... Prepare for the angst onslaught in future chapters as I turn it up a notch! -grins- I do hope you get your password situation resolved soon however as I'm not getting a reply from your new address. Keep me posted on what's happening. As for Kisa? She IS a little more ignorant but that's probably just from being distracted by so many things. She tries hard... really... Am I getting too far out of character? I didn't think it was THAT extreme yet... Hmm. Thanks again for the (slightly more) calm review! Keep reviewing as I adore each one I get from everyone!

**Misfit.Toy:** My first person narrative style? It's just something I wanted to try and third person strikes me as too... impersonal. It's hard to describe what each character is feeling without appearing as some omnipresent entity instead of just a "camera" showing the scene. Well, for me anyway... Thank you for the review and I hope you keep reading!

**HeartAngel:** Um... wow. I'm glad I brought out such emotion, anyway! -smiles- Look out for the next couple chapters or so however. If listening to sad music while reading them, you might ACTUALLY cry so be careful... -chuckles- That's quite a goal but keep at it. I read a lot of fanfics too before I actually started writing. My main fault is the sluggish speed that I update at. Hehe! I apologize to all again for that... Do keep reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter enough to post another review! -smiles-

**VVish:** Yeah... Mori can be fairly mean sometimes! But I'm sure that deep down, under all of those layers and layers of ice, she's a nice person... somewhere... Still greedy and self-centered... but nice... probably... I think... Um... what was I doing? Oooh... shiny! Anyway!!! Here's a small update for you and I'll try to be faster on the next one! Thanks for reviewing and I hope you keep reading!

**Princess Lady Subaru:** Hello to you too, Subaru! Yeah... Kisa's fan club is fun to hate, I'll admit. Yes, High School wasn't the best experience for me either, but hopefully you'll have a better time. Yes, Kisa was VERY forward but she also had a lot of pressure on her. We all know that deep down, she's a good girl who cares way too much about what other people think of her. That and... um... I didn't put you in suspense for THAT long... Gah! And YES, I'm slow, but I think I'm a LITTLE faster than that. -sighs- Besides, in order for my kids to have their OWN kids, I'D have to have kids in the first place... Brat. -sticks out tongue- You know me better than that... Hmph. Well I still hope you enjoyed the chapter and here's your update. I don't have grandchildren obviously so I guess you got your wish... -chuckles- Hope you like it!

-looks down at what's left of egocentric-theorem's cookies and presents one as a gift-

P.S.: What's a muffing? If it's like a muff, I don't think I need any gloves or bird feathers at the moment... -blinks-

**Renia The Weirdo:** Mmm... Detail is the best part of any story if you ask me! Well... besides fluff, angst, or romance between characters! But yes, I try to be as descriptive as possible with my scenes. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter too!

**Uo-chan:** Thank you for reading and leaving such a long review! If I recall, you have the ages correct although I'm FAR too sleepy to look up the actual answer at the moment. (It's currently two thirty in the morning and WAY past my usual bedtime!) The chapters are fairly long still although this one was slightly shorter than usual. I apologize again for that. At least I DID break up the one future-chapter that was over a hundred pages long... That would have been more than a little overboard! I hope you're right about the future author prediction however as I REALLY enjoy writing! I hope you still like this chapter however! Keep reading and reviewing! -celebrates-


	14. Pain

* * *

**Chapter 14 – Pain**

* * *

Math class was so boring! Doodling on my notebook, the instructor droned on and on. When will this ever end!? Math was probably one of my worst subjects! Maybe Momiji is good at it…? What am I saying? Yes, Momiji is good at it, but HIRO is good at it too. I should ask him to help me more. 

Luckily, Hiro and I have a date this Saturday! I must remember it! Why is it so hard for me to remember our dates?! I tried to blame it on Hiro's attitude, but that seems hollow. He only acts like that so I can do pretty much anything I want. He's too nice to me sometimes…

"Now remember, the finals are coming up next week and the final for this class is early Monday morning. Study hard over the weekend!" the teacher spoke. At first I ignored it as I was pondering, but slowly the true meaning sank in. I felt myself grow cold.

Final on Monday! No! That's horribly wrong! I was doing rather... badly in this class and might not pass if I get lower than a "B" on the final! Oh no! What should I do?! Sadly, my brain shut down for the remainder of the class. Wandering out of the classroom, I ran towards the class that Momiji was just getting out of!

"Momiji!" I shouted as I got closer. He turned around and gave me a soft smile. I don't know why Hiro doesn't like him. He's really nice.

"Hey, Kisa! What's wrong?" he asked.

"Are you free at all this weekend?" I asked. Please be free…

He shook his head. "I'm going on a small trip with my father after school today and going to Tohru's get-together Saturday," he informed me. Oh great! Now what was I going to do? Momiji extended his right hand and rubbed it under my chin? "What's wrong, Kisa?" he asked again.

"Well, I have math finals on Monday and I needed to study for it," I explained.

"Hiro is good at math," he replied, wearing a slight smirk suddenly.

"He has a lot of his own work to do. I don't want to load him down with mine too," I replied in a sad tone.

"Well, Yuki is home this weekend. I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping you," he added. Yuki! Yes!

"Thanks, Momiji!" I exclaimed happily.

"Don't mention it!" he called out, but I was mostly down the stairs by then…

* * *

**After School**

* * *

Typing at the laptop in front of me, I finally finished my ten page report. Finals in high school were on Monday. Thankfully for this class I would only have to turn in the report. There wasn't a written final. At least I can skip out on the last hour of the day this way. Sighing, I saved and closed the document. Printing could wait… Too much was flowing though my mind right now. Kisa was showing almost complete apathy toward me. Why? It felt like my thoughts from earlier were coming true. Did she really drop me entirely? That would mean that she didn't actually love me. Why did she say she did then? 

Glancing right from my chair, I noticed the small, black box still open to me. That one ring inside the box symbolized everything that I felt for Kisa, but I couldn't seem to give it to her. She wasn't around long enough for me to properly ask her. That wasn't entirely true, though. I wanted the moment to be special…

Looking back to the laptop screen, I checked my reservations again. We were lined up for an excellent movie AND a romantic dinner afterwards. I had set both up in advance because both places were incredibly hard to get into. It was also costing me a considerable amount of money, but I wasn't expecting to have Akito's BLESSING too. This generally means that the main house will fund the wedding. This left me with a considerable excess in my bank account. I wasn't stupid, though, and I kept up my wise investments and managing of the account. The more money I had, the better.

Maybe Kisa had just NEEDED me… Not only to protect her physically, but to help her build emotional strength. Now that she could protect herself fairly well and had built up a tremendous amount of confidence, I guess she really didn't need me anymore. Was that the reason for her slowly starting to ignore me? Have I been stupidly thinking that she actually did love me all this time? I don't think she would lie, so maybe she just THOUGHT she loved me. All I know is that I actually do love her.

Checking the clock, it read one-thirty in the morning. I yawned. Usually I don't stay up this late on Fridays, but I couldn't seem to sleep. So many thoughts entered my head as I lay down that I could barely keep my eyes closed. I decided to use my energy more productively and manage my account electronically. Finishing my report came as more of an afterthought.

Closing my browser out, I'm assaulted from all directions by Kisa's face. Momiji had given me a good three albums worth of pictures for Christmas and I had pieced my favorites together into a collage that I now use as wallpaper. Kisa in her beautiful yellow dress was the center. There were a few shots of Kisa wearing normal clothes down the right side, and in the bottom right corner I placed one of Kisa in her bikini. I couldn't resist, ok?! Now every time I see my desktop I smile. It somehow makes Kisa seem closer…

Opening my current project that I was working on, I began fidgeting with the wings again. It was the same picture of Kisa in her yellow dress, but I had completely removed the background. Superimposing large wings onto her back, I tinted them slightly golden to match her hair. I had moved the entire image onto a picture that I had taken yesterday. Setting my camera to timed mode, I had taken a picture of myself leaning against the side of our favorite tree, looking upwards slightly with a smile. It had turned out better than I could have wished for. The sun was just setting and it looked like it was engulfing the entire top of the tree. In the large space to the left of me, I added Kisa's picture and made it slightly transparent. Momiji had gotten Kisa mid-discussion with Mori and smiling. It looked like she was now smiling at me when I added her to the picture. She was transparent, so it looked like I was just imagining her, in her dress, standing in front of me with large feathery wings protruding out of her back. I sighed and added more color to the wings. After a couple moments of deliberation, I also added a couple of golden feathers floating around us and the tree. Saving it again, I named it "The Tiger Lily Angel" and put it on my desktop.

Checking the clock again, it read two in the morning. I sighed. Kisa WAS my Tiger Lily Angel. If only she could see that herself. Well, our date tomorrow will ultimately tell me whether or not she actually loves me. I just reminded her today before school, so she shouldn't forget. Checking the movie times again for the fifth time tonight, I made sure that it was still at seven. Two hours of entertainment there followed by dinner and hopefully a yes to spending the rest of her life with me. Maybe I was moving too fast for her, but I just had to know!

What if she said no? What exactly WOULD I do? I don't know… How could I face all of the people who know I will be asking her tomorrow after that? What would happen? Would she drop me out of her life permanently? Would I have to try to love someone else? That would be impossible… Kisa is... my everything. There is almost nothing that I wouldn't do for her. Maybe she just won't be ready for it yet and insist we wait a couple of years. I might be able to deal with that… if she still considered me even a friend in the next couple of years. I sighed again. There's no point to worrying about this until she says no… if she says no.

Turning the lights back out, I return to bed, hoping to get SOME sleep tonight. Still, I lay there for a long while, thinking of the future. Slowly though, sleep finally managed to carry me away…

* * *

**Tutor Yuki**

* * *

I hurried and got dressed. If I could get enough studying done in the morning with Yuki, I could still make it to my date with Hiro this afternoon. After finishing my rapid shower, I rushed downstairs and assaulted my breakfast with the ferociousness of my Zodiac form. Mother was just staring at me the entire time with a confused look on her face. 

"Now don't you forget about your date with Hiro today! I'm not sure how much more the poor kid can take," Mother finally lectured.

"I won't, Mother! This test is important, though!" I replied, finishing my breakfast.

"Not as important as your relationship with Hiro," she said.

"What?!?" I voiced my thoughts. Mother just shook her head.

"Never mind… Just don't forget!" she replied sternly.

"I won't!" I shouted as I rushed out the door. I got to the end of the driveway when I skidded to a stop. Oops… Rushing back to the house, Mother greeted me in the entryway wearing a skeptical look and holding my backpack. I just looked guiltily at the ground and took it from her hand. She shook her head and walked back inside.

It only took me about fifteen minutes to run to Shigure's house. The entire group of Tohru's friends was there. These included Tohru herself, Yuki, Kyo, Hatsuharu, Uo, and Hana. I remembered Uo and Hana from the party. Uo is a little scary at times. She used to be in a gang at school. It would seem that Tohru and her mother helped her escape from the gang and they became friends. I don't know much about Hana, though. Her eyes seem to look into my soul. She has an odd way of looking at everything and also has odd powers. The rumor has it that she's psychic! She can read peoples "waves" and tell what they're feeling and thinking! It's amazing, but I also heard she can use her powers to "attack" people mentally. Tohru claims that she has defended her with them from the psychotic fan club of Yuki's. Both treat me like a little sister to Tohru and said that they should start protecting me, too. I'm not so sure about that, though. Hiro does a good job of protecting me and they might try to protect me FROM Hiro…

Shigure met me at the door when I knocked. Past warnings have said that Shigure can be incredibly lecherous at times and Hiro told me to stay away from him. He doesn't seem that bad, though, and he gives me candy when I come over so I don't mind him.

"Why if it isn't little Kisa! What brings you to our house today?" he said in a playful voice.

"I've come to see Yuki. He was supposed to give me…" I started to explain.

"Oh my! What would Hiro say about that?!" He exclaimed all of a sudden. "His girlfriend coming over to my house specifically to see Yuki!" I felt heat coming into my face…

"It's not like that! I just wanted to…" I again tried to say. It was too late, though.

WHAM! Shigure smashed into the ground and curled up there rubbing the top of his head. Kyo was standing behind him with his fist still held up.

"There… Don't be so perverted next time, stupid dog…" he commented before looking over at me. "Yuki is upstairs in his room. He's doing a report right now so PLEASE bug him all night!" Kyo told me. He was wearing a smile. They still senselessly hated each other. I just nodded and walked upstairs with my backpack.

Knocking lightly on the door, I heard footsteps. The door opened and Yuki looked out, then down at me. He's slightly taller than Hiro and Hiro towers at almost 6'1"! This makes my 5'7" seem like nothing. I've always been shorter than Hiro, though, so I'm used to it.

"Hello, Kisa! How are you feeling today?" he asked politely. He always behaved like such a prince around everyone. Hiro actually admitted to me that he looked up to Yuki! Yuki is a VERY skilled martial artist as well and is probably about equal with Hiro.

"I'm flustered," I replied.

"Why?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Math finals are coming up on Monday and I needed help learning the materials. Do you think you could tutor me?" I asked as sweetly as I could muster. Yuki just smiled.

"Of course I will help you, Kisa. Pull a chair up to the desk and explain to me what you're working on," he replied in a soft voice. Yuki was always so nice to me… He had similar troubles like me. He lost his voice for a while too. Akito seemed to really like watching Yuki suffer and he got it a little worse than the other Sohmas. When they were younger, Akito apparently mentally and physically attacked Yuki for three days straight. Nobody could do anything about it, though, and Yuki ended up reduced to a curled up little ball. It was really the only way he could defend himself. I think he sees himself in me a little and that's why he treats me so nicely.

"Thanks, Yuki!" I exclaimed, wearing the biggest smile I could muster. Walking with him over to the desk, I set my backpack down on the floor and started rummaging though it. Finally managing to find my math book, I opened it to the correct page and set it down on Yuki's desk. He would be able to help me for sure!

* * *

**Preparation**

* * *

Quickly finishing my supper, I rushed upstairs to take a shower. After I stepped out of the shower, I glanced at myself in the mirror. Checking my hair, I tried to brush it down. It poped out again almost as soon as I moved the comb away. I shook my head. Kisa didn't seem to have a problem with my hair, so I ignored it. Kisa also seemed to be paying more attention to my muscles of late. It's kind of odd. They just seemed to develop on their own and I don't really have to work at them. Oh well. I brushed my teeth rather quickly and started to get dressed for the movie. We would have to make it back here afterwards to change into some more classy clothing, but we had an hour. 

Finally exiting the bathroom, I wandered downstairs again. Mother was absolutely beaming at me when I reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Good luck with tonight!" she exclaimed happily.

"Thanks, Mother!" I shouted as I rushed out the door. Even though I know I will be heading back to my house after the movie, I still carried the ring on me. It seemed to give me more confidence.

Finally making it to the theatre downtown, I sat down on the bench in front. Kisa and Haru once sat on this bench while I spied on them from across the street through the fog. Remembering that brings out a laugh in me every time. Nervously, I checked my watch. Six forty-five… only fifteen more minutes before the movie starts. Better hurry, Kisa!

Ten minutes later, I was fidgeting with my hands. Where was she? I told her mother to remind her in the morning, too! How could she have forgotten so soon? Maybe my original estimate of her was correct? I sighed…

* * *

**Panic**

* * *

Lying on Yuki's bed, I tried to give a definition to the vocabulary words he listed out of the book. We had been though this so many times that my head hurt, but I MUST learn these for the finals! I could only picture what my mother would say if she found out I flunked math class. Letting my thoughts distract me, I screwed up one of the definitions causing Yuki to read it again out of the book. 

This wasn't going to go well. We had been practicing for hours and I still didn't know all that I needed. Note to self, pay more attention in class and don't wait until the last minute! I hoped Yuki wasn't mad at me. Just as I was about to repeat the definition, I was interrupted.

"Ah… Giving her a break every once in a while, huh? That's a good idea…" I heard from the doorway. Glancing over quickly while turning a little red, I noticed Shigure watching me lay on Yuki's bed.

I'm ever amazed at Yuki's accuracy with books at thirty feet. The dictionary struck true on Shigure's head and he went backwards into the hallway.

"Next time, knock! Perverted dog…" Yuki shouted. I giggled.

"Hey, Yuki? What time is it?" I asked on an impulse.

He glanced over at the clock on the desk before answering, "Almost nine thirty… Why? Are you getting hungry again?"

"Yeah. Think you could get us more snacks?" I asked politely.

"Sure. What do you want this time?" he replied.

"Some chips sound good! Oh… do you think that I can use your laptop really quickly? It's been a couple days since I've checked my mail and I probably should soon," I asked.

"No problem. I'll go get the chips now," he answered, standing up and heading out of the room.

"Thanks!" I shouted after him.

Walking over to the laptop, I accessed the internet and checked my mail. Hiro sent me a message? Hmm… I wonder what he wants? Oh no… Not another message from Matsuki! He's my superior in the student government that I report to. He started off as a relatively nice guy, but now he constantly flirts with me. It's getting annoying, so I'm finally going to tell him off!

Yuki came back in halfway though my rapid and furious typing. He glanced at the screen and made a face.

"Those are some pretty nasty words. Who on earth is that for?" Yuki asked after a few seconds of watching.

"Matsuki. He's my superior in the student government, but I'm sick of him flirting with me all the time," I explained without halting my typing.

"Well that message should certainly do it…" Yuki commented. I laughed.

"I hope so, anyway!" I replied.

Finally finishing my nasty message, I saved it to my outbox and sent it from there. It asked me where to send it to. Pressing the down arrow key until I got to Matsuki, I highlight his name. Sighing, I contemplate actually sending this horrible letter. This might get me kicked off of the student government, but I didn't care. I was getting kind of sick of it anyway. All they did was boss me around.

"Can't decide to send it or not?" Yuki asked, noting my hesitation.

"Well, it might get me kicked off the student government if I do," I explained, retreating from the enter button slightly.

"Doubtful. They will probably just re-assign you if you ask," Yuki stated calmly.

"Well, that's good… That I would like!" I commented. Making my decision, I moved my finger forward again and hit enter. Why did the highlighting move up? After I noticed the highlighting flicker up slightly before the sending screen appeared, I glance down at my finger. It was pushing the up arrow key slightly. Yuki's keyboard is really touchy. Who did I just send that to? Suddenly, I cursed at my luck of having Hiro right above Matsuki in my address book. The message, "Sent to: Hiro Sohma" was blinking in front of me. Not realizing it, I made a quiet squeaking noise. Yuki leaned closer to the computer.

"Uh oh… That's not a good thing," Yuki commented quietly. Oh no… Um…

"I'll send him another message telling him that the last one wasn't supposed to go to him," I replied, staying calm. Starting up another message, I began to type.

"Speaking of Hiro… Tohru wanted to have me ask for her," Yuki added.

"About what?" I asked absently while typing.

"She doesn't think that you're spending enough time with him. That's all…" Yuki explained. I stopped typing and sighed.

"Sis is probably right. Do you have any suggestions, though? It's hard for me to come up with places to go to that are fun…" I asked.

"Well, there is supposed to be a really funny movie playing in the theatre. You could ask him to go to it with you tomorrow…" Yuki recommended. Movie? Why does that sound familiar? Movie… movie… Hmm… Suddenly, I felt the blood in my veins turn to ice. It must have been quite visible on my face, because Yuki rushed over to me then.

"What's wrong, Kisa?!?" he asked, very concerned now.

"Why am I so stupid!?!" I screamed to no one in particular. Yuki looked concerned at me.

"You aren't stupid! You just…" he started. I interrupted him.

"Completely forgot about the date I was supposed to be at two and a half hours ago!" I finished for him. His eyes widened tremendously.

"Kisa!" he exclaimed, slightly upset with me. Why not? I was seriously upset with myself! I started to stand up then. Yuki motioned for me to sit down. "You should finish the letter to Hiro first. Explain to him what happened, too. I'm sure he will understand," Yuki explained. I nodded. Yuki certainly could think clearly in times of stress…

I finished the letter and apologized liberally in it. As I sent it, I decided to open up Hiro's letter. Momiji had entered while I had been typing.

"What are you going to tell him when you get to his house?" Momiji asked.

"I will apologize more and offer to spend an entire weekend with him after school," I said.

"You might need more time than that to fully repair your relationship, but that's a good start," Yuki commented with an eye roll. I suppose I deserved that...

"Well I can spend WEEKS with him if I have to…" I added.

"As long as it takes. I think Hiro needs the mental break…" Momiji replied. Huh?

"What do you mean by that?!?" I asked, concerned. Momiji's eyes widened and he covered his mouth. Yuki gave him an odd look. Before I could ask anything else, I noted the email finished loading. Quickly reading it, my eyes widened tremendously.

Momiji was reading it over my shoulder. "Hurry!" he shouted to me. Too late though, as I had already reached the first floor…

* * *

**Lost**

* * *

Finally, the people started to come out of the theatre. That means that it must be nine o'clock… She forgot COMPLETELY! She must have no interest in me whatsoever! Suddenly, my left shoulder started to hurt. I sighed. It was dark by now and no stars were visible through the cloud cover. Standing up from the bench, I walked off. Maybe it was just a mistake? I will send her one more email asking her directly. 

Walking through the door to my house, I walked upstairs. Mother was upstairs in her room then. At a glance, she seemed to be admiring one of her pictures of me and Kisa. I pay no more attention than that as I walk past.

"Hiro? Back from the movies?" I heard. She must have heard me.

"Yes," I answered simply. Technically a true statement…

"How was it?" she asked. Um…

"Boring…" I replied. I had entered my room by now and accessed my email.

"Uh oh… That's not good. Are you still going to ask her tonight at the restaurant…?" she asked. I have discovered that there are a small number of people in this world that I would do anything to not hurt. Anything includes lying though my teeth it would seem. Why not? I've probably done worse…

"I'm going to try," I commented.

Typing up my letter, I asked if she actually loved me still. If she did, why did she always forget about our dates? Are they not that important to her? Overall, I just typed my mind into the letter and sent it. Hopefully, she would reply quickly… Leaving my inbox up, I wandered back and lay down on my bed. Closing my eyes, I let my thoughts slip away. Thinking of nothing can be hard to do sometimes, but I had gotten good at it in the last few weeks. It was really my only temporary reprieve from thinking about our relationship.

After a couple of minutes of nothing, I heard the bell sound of an incoming message. Glancing back over at the screen, I saw a new message from Kisa. Wherever she is, she has access to a computer anyway. Walking back over, I read the subject line, "Stop It!" My eyes widened. Quickly clicking on the subject line, I entered the message.

"Stop it now! I'm growing sick of your constant attempts to prove that you love me. I can see that you do and I don't care! I have a boyfriend already and don't need you! Let's keep it to the friend level please or I might have to alert the proper authorities. I will never love you so stop trying! Stay my friend or get out of my life. Your choice. Signed, Kisa." was written in the message.

My brain couldn't comprehend what was written. I read it again and again but couldn't find any other meaning to it. Kisa hated me… Everything got really cold all of a sudden. If I could feel my heart, I would have said it just broke into thousands of pieces and was floating in my stomach. Everything got slightly dizzy then and the screen moved away from me. Landing on the bed, I just sat there. What happened? What did I miss that could have caused this?!? Eyes spinning around the room, they focused on the only stuffed animal I still kept. A stuffed tiger sat on my bedside table. It was a gift from Kisa for one of my birthdays. Slowly, I reached out and picked it up…

Cradling it in my arms, I just stared at it. It wasn't the biggest stuffed animal in the world, but it definitely had Kisa's tastes all over it. It was a bright orange in color and had a ribbon wrapped around its neck. The ribbon was, of course, yellow. Kisa was so nervous when she gave it to me, thinking that it would look cheap and I wouldn't like it. I treasured it… Looking over to the left again, I saw the box sitting to the right of the computer. Everything that I had hoped for… I smiled then. Akito won't be able to stop laughing after this one.

Walking over to the desk, I picked the box up and slipped it into my pocket. I could feel its weight pushing against my leg, like all of the memories were pushing against it. Then, it all flooded into me at once… Kisa, the girl I had loved since probably second grade, had just said she hated me. What had I been doing? Nine years of my life put into one girl, only for her to hate me. Everything had revolved around Kisa. I had been so STUPID! Everything in my life that I had held dear now was crashing down around me… and it was… so… FUNNY! Not able to stop myself, I started chuckling. I had become the target of the world's biggest practical joke. It would go down in history! The tears flowed freely off of my cheeks, but I couldn't stop chuckling. How could anyone be duped so fully…? I was so gullible! My future that I had been planning was centered on one person. When that person is removed, all other goals seemed pointless. Turning to the right then, I exited my room. There was no point in continuing, really. I wondered what would have happened if I had never met her…

I must have still been laughing when I walked past Mother's room...

"What on earth is so funny out there?" she asked in what I barely recognized as a playful manner. I stopped at the base of the stairs then and turned.

Mother was peeking out of her room at me and smiling happily. Then she saw my face, the tiger I was holding still, my shaking legs… Her smile melted into a look of horror and concern. It was so… HILARIOUS! I broke up. Laughing and crying at the same time, I turned around and walked down the stairs.

"Hiro! What's wrong?!?" I heard her almost scream. Everything. It was all pointless. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I walked though the dining room. Kisa was sitting at the table and smiling up at me. After one blink she was gone… That's about the size of it… Walking on, I entered the kitchen. Kisa was there too. She turned around wearing mother's apron and smiling at me as well. I HAD imprinted it into my head after all. Walking past, I reached the entry hall. As I opened the right door and walked in, I glanced to the left. A rather young Kisa was crouched down behind the door and giggling. Waiting for me to finish talking with my mother so she could walk in and get hugged by me… Heh… I walked on.

Mother was following me it would seem. "Hiro! Stop it! What is wrong with you?!?" she shouted. Nothing! My life is burning up around me! There's nothing wrong with ME at all! Why did I get pinned as the jester?

Rapid footsteps approached me from behind! "Must flee from everything," was the only thought that screamed though my mind. Accidentally dropping the tiger on my way, I tried to turn around to get it. Mother was too close, though, so I fled. Sorry, Kisa… Maybe I will pick you up in another life… Bolting though the yard, I made it through the gate in a heartbeat and was gone down the street. Nothing mattered anymore! Surroundings blurred together as I ran…

* * *

**Searching**

* * *

Running through the darkness towards Hiro's house, I was followed by Yuki, Kyo, Momiji, and Haru. Yuki and Momiji had followed me from Yuki's room. Kyo was talking to Haru in the entry hall when the three of us rushed by. I heard Yuki relate the entire story to Kyo and Haru behind me. Hearing it again only made it worse. 

The email that I had accidentally sent to Hiro fit almost perfectly with what he had sent me. If Hiro thought that it was truly for him, he might freak out before he gets my second one! Why did things like this happen?!? I'm pretty sure I was crying by the time the five of us ran up Hiro's walkway.

Not bothering to knock, I just pushed though the door and slid to a complete halt. Hiro's mother was sitting at the kitchen table… She looked completely disturbed and was holding something. Walking closer, I noted that it was a stuffed tiger. More specifically, it was the one I had gotten Hiro for his birthday. Why was she holding it?

Finally noticing movement, she whipped her head in my direction. "What on earth did you say to him?!?" she screamed at me! What happened to Hiro?!?

"I… It was… an… accident!" I stuttered. If I wasn't crying yet, I certainly was now. Collapsing to my knees, I started crying uncontrollably. Thankfully Momiji ran up.

"The email wasn't supposed to go to him! It was a mistake!" he pleaded.

Yuki stepped up as well. "Where is Hiro?" he asked calmly.

Hiro's mother started crying then? "He was laughing in the hallway so I came out to check on him…"

"Ha! The brat must have flipped…" Kyo commented. How DARE you!

Whipping around, I glared at Kyo. My eyes were rapidly narrowing. "Shut up!" I almost shouted. Kyo's eyes widened considerably, but he didn't say anything else.

Hiro's mother continued talking, completely ignoring our comments, "And then he turned around. He was laughing still but tears were pouring out of his eyes. It was horrible! I followed him down the stairs because he didn't answer me. I started to chase him when he reached the entry hall, but he bolted. He was carrying this the entire time, but dropped it when he started to run. It looked like he was going to turn around for it until he saw how close I was…"

No… This wasn't happening! All I wanted to do was see him at the moment. He would just turn around and say that it was no problem and smile at me. No… Not this time. I had to find him! Suddenly, I found myself running out of the house again! Yuki and Momiji chased me out into the yard. Yuki managed to grab my arm.

"Stop, Kisa! You have no idea where he went and running around aimlessly is pointless!" Yuki shouted to me.

"Then what should we do?!?" I screamed. Yuki looked downward slightly, as if unsure. This wouldn't do at all! Hiro was horribly depressed somewhere and Yuki was stalling me here!

Ripping myself violently out of his grasp, I ran again. This time, nobody gave chase. Fleeing into the city, I had no idea where I was going. This was my entire fault! Why did I have to be so stupid sometimes!

* * *

**Wandering**

* * *

Why do I always find myself here? Not only in my dreams, but at the end of the world as well… Looking up from my dark haze, I noticed that I was in the park again. It had started raining and I could finally stop laughing. The jester didn't have to laugh. Everyone just laughed AT him for his stupidity. 

Approaching the swings, I noticed that they were moving slightly? In the dark? Lightening flashed all of a sudden and for a second, I thought I saw a young girl sitting on the swings looking at me. "Come give me a push, Hiro…" echoed in my head. I shook my head and moved on.

Walking around the lake, I came to the crepe stand. It was shut down for the night. Glancing over at the bench near it, I saw Kisa sitting on it looking at me. She looked like she was in middle school still! "Did you get my chocolate and strawberry crepe, Hiro?" she asked. The lightning hit again and she was gone.

I closed my eyes. Memories were flowing all around me. None of them would ever happen again. Kisa had just used me to improve herself and then ditched me when I wasn't needed. I couldn't bring myself to hate her, though. I loved her. For some reason, I was happy that she made the most of our brief friendship. Now she could walk through the rest of her life without fear. I only wished that I could have watched. The tears came again, so I moved on…

Where was I going now? Who cares? Not anyone that I could think of did. If no one else did, then I guess I didn't either. Thunder echoed though the night sky. The lightning jumped along the clouds. Rain didn't bother me in the least. After a while of walking, I decided to check my surroundings again. As I looked up, I saw the tree. Smiling, I picture Kisa as an angel walking towards me from the tree. It was a fleeting thought and quickly disappeared. Again, I asked myself how long ago our first kiss was. Did it really matter anymore? No…

Turning back around, I walked back into the darkness. It was absolute around me, but I walked without fear. I had already admitted that I wasn't afraid of the darkness. That should apply to my own as well. Losing myself in thought, I walked off into the night yet again. This time, though, Kisa wouldn't be coming to save me …

* * *

**Chapter 14 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes:

Ok, yeah, I know this is fast for one of my updates but due to last chapter's lack of quantity, I decided to post this one too. I hope you all enjoy. Heh... Yes, I realize that it just dropped off at the end and yes, this is a multi-part story arc. My first one... woot! I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter posted soon but college IS getting hectic so I don't know when I'll get a chance...

Now that you realize Kisa's true thinking, does that make sense a little more, anyway? I hope it does... Hehe! I noticed people were starting to get irritated at her, anyway. Well, let me know what you think! Until later then...

Stay Safe,

-Angsty Tiger

**Individual Review Responses:**

**rbzodiac612:** Don't worry! It won't close for a LOOOOOONG time. I think you're right about chapter eight, though. If you're interested in my other story, I'll send it to you in a PM shortly. It's not edited like this one so it's slightly more rough, but once I proof the first couple chapters a little, I'll send it. I'll NOT be posting it on FictionPress as I hope to attempt publishing it one day and who would buy a book that's posted for free online? -blink blink- As to your hypothesis? I don't mind as long as they don't lead to me dying horribly. It would be awfully hard to finish this story if I was dead. Shiny objects are simply awesome, however! Randomness is amusing as well, so add both without restraint! But you saw how sadistic I can be to Hiro sometimes. -averts eyes- I hope you like this chapter as much, if not more than, the last one! Keep up the reviews!

**Kisshu-luv:** Everyone that's read up to this point seems irritated with Kisa. I tried to explain her reasons a little in this chapter, however. More of the reasoning should come in the next. Don't worry about the email, though. As long as you continue enjoying the story, that's what counts, right? -smiles- Sorry to cause more heartache for Hiro... I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway! Keep up the reviews! -celebrates-

**lightningstrxu:** HEY! That's not nice... -blinks- There are many reasons that I chose Angsty Tiger as a penname, really. For one, I started liking Kisa before I liked Hiro, actually. I thought she was absolutely adorable in the manga and idolized all the chapters with her in them. (Yes, I know. I'm a freak...) Then Hiro came in and he was a total jerk to everyone. At first I absolutely hated him and didn't understand why Kisa put up with him so much. Eventually I realized what he was REALLY like however, and now I write this story as a tribute to both of them! Tada! Oh yeah... and I'm Year of the Tiger. -blink- Thanks for reading since... chapter five? Very awesome and I hope you continue enjoying the story! Thanks again for reviewing!

**egocentric-theorem:** -just... stares blankly- Um... wow. I'm happy to have good fans though. It certainly makes writing more fun when I know people actually get enjoyment from reading my writing. Hyper isn't always a bad thing, either, so don't get me wrong... -chuckles- Was this soon enough an update for you, though? Heh... This chapter should have MORE than enough angst in it, though. I went a little overboard... Still, EVERYTHING I write? You must be exaggerating... -blushes slightly- . . . -stops blushing long enough to accept the cookies... then continues blushing- . . . -munches a cookie- Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter too. Until next time...

**Anonymous**: Wow... still no proposal. LOTS of surprises, huh? -grins- Anyway, thank you for liking the last chapter. I think this one was slightly more of a cliffhanger, though. Thank you for the review and I hope you like this chapter too! Enjoy...

**Duel Soul:** Hi! It's good that you aren't upset, anyway! Spoilers though? Tisk tisk... Temptation CAN be rather strong sometimes, though. Yes, Kisa IS fairly absent minded. She's probably trying to do too many things at once. This was an EXTREMELY angsty chapter however and the next one only gets worse... Heh... heh... They'll ALL need hugs after the next one. -sniffles- Hope you enjoy this one too and thank you for the review! Hope you keep reading!!!


	15. Death's Door

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Death's Door**

* * *

Casually, I whistled to myself. It was such a miserable night. Looking at the clock on the wall, I noted that it was almost eleven. Only one more hour! No! I can't think like this! People are relying on me to do a proper job here and if I start thinking about leaving, I won't do my best! Quickly, I continued mopping the floor. 

I wonder if Kisa is done practicing with Yuki yet? They were still working when I left. Kisa is such a good girl but so careless sometimes. Hiro loved her with all his heart and would literally do ANYTHING for her. She didn't spend enough time with him, though. He took it strongly and insisted on being a stable base for Kisa, but I'm not sure how much longer she can go on ignoring him like that.

My stomach growled. Working till midnight gives me precious little time for food, but I needed the money for college. Mother would be so proud of me! Not only did I hold my high school diploma in my hands, but now I'm trying to graduate college too! Luckily, it's a college close to here so I don't have to move out of Shigure's!

Wait a second! Is that… footsteps? A dull thudding noise came to my ears. They were irregular, though, and a lot of weight was being put onto them. Odd… I thought I was the only one up here. Turning around, I glance down the hallway that I was cleaning. I was in the lower portion of a "T" hallway. It sounded like the footsteps were walking along the hallway perpendicular to this one.

After waiting a few seconds, a person crossed my hallway. It was a boy with dark-brown hair. He was wearing a very soaked black t-shirt and shorts. He didn't seem to even see me? Wait… He looked familiar… Hiro! He disappeared down the left hallway then and I ran as fast as I could to get to the crossing. When I finally made it around the corner, he was just disappearing into an office at the end of the hall. What on earth is Hiro doing here at eleven at night?!?

Rushing down the hallway, I quickly enter the office that he entered. He was standing over by the window, looking out over the city. The lightning played across the sky.

"Hiro? What are you doing here?" I asked him. He glanced to his left a little bit at my reflection in the window.

Slowly, he turned around and looked at me. Tear stains ran down his face, but he wasn't crying. His face was devoid of emotion. "You really wish to know why I'm here?" he asked. He was talking oddly. He said "here" like it implied to far more than standing on the eightieth floor of the Sohma skyscraper. I only nodded. He turned back around again and spoke to my reflection instead, "Someone should know, I guess. From the beginning then…" He simply started talking... He was explaining how he was irritated that the cities zoning department didn't have more consideration for people using the streets…

* * *

**Empty**

* * *

_Staring out at the stormy skyline, an incredible sense of Fate overwhelms me. I continue to stare out across the shattered sky, speaking in low tones to the only one that will listen. Another thunderclap goes off near me but I continue, unblinking. Logical thought escapes me as I'm swept away into the past…_

I finally finished my story then. Somehow, I find myself in the Sohma skyscraper. There are no feelings whatsoever. I am empty of emotions… finally. Having repeated the entire story to her "Sister," I knew that eventually it would get back to her. She deserved to know all of my feelings, at least. The lack of emotions was disturbing. The emptiness consumed me. Tohru had stood there and listened to my entire story without commenting. Tears now slid down her face. She now knew that Kisa hated me.

Reaching forward, my hand slid the lock down on the full size window. The lock released with a dull clanging noise and I slid the window open completely. Stepping out onto the rim, I heard a scream from behind me.

"Don't do it, Hiro! I'm sure you're mistaken!" Tohru exclaimed in-between sobs. I didn't care anymore. The city skyline opened up before me. It was beautiful… Lightning ripped the sky asunder and deafening explosions of thunder went off like fireworks. The wind flowed around me through the window. I could hear the beeping of a cell phone behind me. Good… Call them all here if you can, Tohru. How powerful IS your influence? Glancing downward, I could almost make out someone on the sidewalk below? I looked closer…

* * *

**Lost Hope**

* * *

Walking without really knowing where I was going, I thought about things. Hiro loved me beyond what my vocabulary could describe. There was absolutely nothing to compare it with. How had I returned his love? I ignored him entirely. I was so caught up trying to fill that emptiness in me that I felt… that I let another part of me openly decay. 

For so long I had been teased and taunted. I went through the first few years of my life without any friends at all. Then Hiro entered my life. He saved me from the teasing and taunting. He protected me mentally and physically. The kindness he showed me built up my personal strength. It was inevitable really that our friendship would become… more. I love Hiro. He loved me… until I ruined it.

I was so happy to start gaining popularity. With Hiro's help and sacrifices, I was able to gain friends. All of a sudden, I had all the popularity and friends I wanted. I basked in the feelings and filled that emptiness from the lack of friendships so far. Then my oldest friend was ignored.

I stopped then. Where was I? Looking around, I found I was downtown in the business district. More specifically, I was in front of the Sohma skyscraper. Odd… My head hurt all of a sudden. What? Look… up? Glancing upwards, I saw how tall the building really was! Eighty floors straight up! Wait a second… Is that a person up there… standing on the lip of the window looking down? For a moment, I froze. HIRO!!! My mind screamed at me.

Running through the doors of the skyscraper, I headed for the elevator. Finally reaching them, I almost smashed the button into the wall. Glancing up at the readout, it said the elevator was on the top floor! Oh no! There was no way that I would make it in time to stop Hiro! Looking to the left, I saw the entry to the stairs… Eighty floors? You're insane, girl!

My body didn't listen to my logic and I found myself up three flights before I realized I had decided…

* * *

**The Cat, Rat, Cow, and Rabbit**

* * *

There was no sense in getting worked up about all of this. It didn't help you think any clearer or save Kisa and Hiro from tragedy. Yet everyone around me seemed to overreact as usual. Sometimes, I think it's just me, but oh well. Since when did I ever care what people thought about me? 

Kyo and Yuki weren't fighting, or even glaring at each other, and Momiji was quiet, unsmiling. Everything was so wrong about this situation. Suddenly, the four of us heard a phone ringing in the house. It stopped after two rings and for a while, there was nothing. I wondered what would happen now.

Hiro's mother ran out of the house after a couple of seconds. She looked close to tears. "Tohru just called! Hiro is at the skyscraper!" she shouted. Why would he want to go to the skyscraper? Hmm… Oh. It's really tall and offers an almost instantaneous escape from everything that is happening in his life. That coward… He's my better in martial arts so he should be stronger than this… Then again… Kisa was everything to him. He would probably kill if she told him to.

"We have to get there fast!" Momiji exclaimed. Not necessarily. It's actually rather pointless for us to go. If he's already on the top floor where Tohru works, I seriously doubt that we can get there before he decides to crush himself into the ground.

"I will drive you all!" His mother said then. Deciding to go along with it, I piled into the car with everyone else.

The way to the skyscraper was a rather silent ride. Everyone seemed lost in thought. Worrying wouldn't do much good. Things would work themselves out. We all ran into the building when the car finally came to a stop. Silently, I noted that the elevator button was crushed into the wall before I pressed in what was left of it. Hiro, in his current mindset, wouldn't have punched the button. Kisa was here. The elevator opened instantly though which means she took the stairs. Eighty floors of stairs? Now that's devotion, girl…

The elevator was rather slow, though, and I think the others were rather impatient. Oh well. At least Hiro's mother decided to wait by the car…

* * *

**Burning Memories**

* * *

My lungs felt like they were on fire! Still taking the stairs two at a time, though, I didn't dare stop! As I made the next platform, I noted that it was the fiftieth floor! Over half way there! I couldn't stop now! I lost myself in memories as I ran. 

The sky surrounded me! The wind was freely flowing around me as I went higher. It was pure happiness that I felt. The chains to either side of me clinked as I went up. The soft rubber contoured under me to fit my form. Slowly, I stopped climbing and started to descend following the same path downward. I wasn't worried though. I knew that Hiro was waiting at the bottom to catch me and launch me back skywards again. This applied to so much more than just swings, though.

Suddenly, I found myself sitting on a bench. The wood was rather cool to the touch and a little uncomfortable. My stomach growled and I remembered thinking that I SHOULD go home to get some REAL food, but… Looking up all of a sudden, I saw Hiro walking towards me carrying my chocolate and strawberry crepe. Smiling at him, I whispered my thanks as I took it from his hand. He nodded, smiling at me before sitting down beside me to enjoy his crepe with me…

My vision blurred from the memories… Or was it tears? Hitting the next platform, I glanced at the door number. Seventy! I'm almost there now! Just as I rounded the seventy-first floor, though, my foot caught in one of the stairs and I went into the metal rather painfully. My knee took the brunt of it, but I also scrapped my arm a little. Shaking my head, I quickly recovered and stood up. I have to continue! My thoughts of Hiro screamed to me as I continued my ascent…

* * *

**Mixed Feelings**

* * *

Staring out the window still, I watched a car pull up and four people rush into the building. That would be Yuki, Kyo, Momiji, and Haru… I thought idly. Turning back to Tohru, I started thinking out loud again. 

"Well it looks like everyone is here now. Kisa is in the building, already on her way up, and the other four just arrived via car. I wonder… Are they here to actually attempt to save my worthless and pointless life? Ha! They're probably just here to witness my oblivion…" I pondered out loud… Tohru's eyes widened and more tears came out.

"Your life isn't worthless OR pointless, Hiro!" Tohru whimpered. Stupid Riceball…

"Shut up, Tohru… Do you honestly think that you can save ANYONE!?!" I attacked.

"Well… Um…" she stuttered.

"Do you think that any situation, you can solve!?! Do you think you're a goddess or something? Like SHE thinks you are…" I broke off there… the feelings were returning, sadly. Tohru's eyes widened.

"No! I can't solve any problem, and I'm certainly not a goddess…" she defended.

"Ha! Well at least you're a slight step above Akito if you don't think you're all powerful and immortal…" I commented. Bored with the conversation, I turned back around and looked out the window. Lightning was so… beautiful… I should have put the Tiger Lily Angel to a stormy backdrop… Well… chalk up one more regret…

After a brief time of staring out the window, I suddenly heard rapid footsteps. One of the audience had finally arrived and I had a feeling I knew who, too. Yes… heh… come one, come all… to the jester's final performance. The tears flowed again. Turning around, I glanced past the crying Tohru and though the door.

She was sprinting as fast as she could down the hallway. It all seemed so slow… Watching her run with her hair flowing behind her and the two lovely, longer strands almost going out sideways, was so nice. I noticed that blood was flowing down her right leg from the knee and from the elbow of her left arm. The injuries didn't seem to bother her, though, and she kept running. Failing to compensate for the slight upraise of the carpeted office, she hit the ground when she entered. You really didn't want to miss this, did you?

Letting out a slight yelp when she landed on the carpet on her right knee, Kisa slowly raised her head to look at me. Why was she crying? Fighting every urge in my body, I just stood there. My mind was desperately screaming to me. Run over there right now. Clean up the wounds and cuddle with her until she stops crying, and then wipe away all of the tears. Make everything all seem better for her again. No… She didn't like me. That would be wrong of me to do, so I ignored the thoughts. Then why was she here?!? She was here to watch my oblivion… Why was she crying then? Stop it brain! She has other friends now! She doesn't need me. Then why did she rush to the point of injuring herself? My logical side won and I became curious again.

Kisa just looked up at me from her fallen position. "Hiro… please stop…" she spoke, in-between sobs. Time got stuck again…

* * *

**Elevation**

* * *

Why did things like this always happen to them? What did they do to deserve any of this? Sure… I had to admit that it was partly their own fault, but a lot of it was still outside their influence. Maybe if Hiro had been more assertive over the relationship, this wouldn't have happened. Kisa probably could have spent a LOT more time with him, too. Why am I even bothering to understand this stupid problem? 

All we have to do is get up there before Hiro decided to jump. In his current mindset, Hiro might be a little dangerous, but between me, Haru, and Yuki, we should be able to subdue him. The little brat was fanatical about training and martial arts and had achieved black belt already, and at the age of sixteen! He was STILL training, though, constantly improving himself. I also heard he was starting up fencing too. Great… That's all the already deadly kid needed was a sword!

Glancing over at Yuki, I noticed that he was simply drumming on the side of the elevator. Nervous maybe? I wondered if I was setting any records of longest being in his presence without fighting with him. Heh.

Continuing to the right, I saw Haru leaning up against the back of the elevator. He was wearing his usual blank expression. Sometimes I envied him, being able to stay calm under almost any situation. Messing with him too much, though, would bring out his "black" persona, and then he got violent. It usually only happened if someone either hits him or somehow attacks Kisa. Of course, attacking Kisa isn't a good choice because then you have both Haru AND Hiro after you.

Finally settling on Momiji, I notice that he was just staring sadly at the door. What on earth was wrong with him? Usually he at least LOOKED like he was contemplating or something. Finally, his mouth opened slightly.

"Um… guys? Remember that day in the park when we all distracted Kisa and Hiro walked off?" he asked. Of course I remember. Tohru always picks the worst times to distract Kisa.

"No, Momiji. I don't think that…" Haru started. Huh?

"I don't think he will care that much anymore. Hopefully, Kisa can get to him far before us, anyway…" Momiji replied. What? Kisa was here?

"Well, if you're sure…" Haru continued. Momiji nodded.

"In the park that day… I learned afterwards that Hiro was only about half a second away from proposing to Kisa before we arrived," Momiji spoke. Yuki stopped drumming his fingers and just stared at Momiji. My brain went numb…

"He got permission to marry her from Akito then… not just date her," Yuki said at last. WHAT?! Akito NEVER gives out permission to marry!

Momiji smiled. "Not just permission, but blessing as well…" he added. How!?!

"Nice… That must have taken some guts…" Yuki spoke. Suddenly the entire situation felt even worse. If Hiro was trying over and over again to ask Kisa, but she kept getting distracted or forgetting… It would drive any person mad…

Our group fell into silence again as the elevator traveled ever upwards…

* * *

**Guilt**

* * *

Finally standing up, I just looked into his eyes. Sis was standing about four feet to my left, but I didn't care. The only thing that I could see was Hiro… crying. Hiro never cried… well at least not around me. Maybe I just wasn't there enough to see him cry? 

"Don't do this…" I spoke softly as I walked forward. His face showed nothing, but his eyes darted with confusion. I continued, "Hiro… You don't have to do this…" He was just watching me now. "Hiro. I'm so sorry! The finals were coming up and they…"

Stopping there, I thought about it. They what? Made me completely forget about Hiro? No… That wasn't correct… My friends were so precious to me. Never had I had this many friends. Normal people had never treated me with respect and friendship before high school. Somewhere in my head, I thought that if I didn't devote as much time to them as possible, that they would all go back to hating me. Somewhere along this thought process, my new friends had become more important to me than my oldest friend. How? Why? Had I just assumed that if I didn't say "yes" to every little thing my friends asked that they would disappear as quickly as I gained them? For some reason I thought Hiro would always love me and be there for me… even if I completely ignored him.

My attention was snapped back to the present by movement. Hiro looked hesitant and stepped backwards slightly! Sis screamed… before I knew what I was doing, I had lunged forward…

* * *

**Top Floor**

* * *

Leaning back against the elevator, all I could do was hope. Hiro and Kisa make a good couple. No matter how much I tease Hiro, it's always trying to improve their relationship. He probably hated me, but I didn't mind. Kisa was a good girl, but had serious priority issues. Once she discovered that her friends aren't as fragile as she thinks… 

The final marker lit up on the elevator display. The door started to slide open and both Kyo and Yuki attempted to smash though at the same time. I would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire. They didn't even shout a curse at each other as they pushed themselves out of the elevator. Haru and I followed behind them as they ran. The door at the end of the hall was open and I saw Tohru inside. That was where they are… or where they used to be, I thought. That was a horrible thought, so I pushed it out of my head.

Kyo and Yuki had already stopped dead in their tracks next to Tohru. Haru and I entered after them…

* * *

**The Tiger Lily Angel**

* * *

Kisa had stepped forward attempting to apologize. For what? Not needing me anymore? Something is wrong… Stepping slightly away from her, I reach the edge of the window again. Kisa's eyes widened and Tohru screamed. Before I knew what had happened, Kisa had collided with me. Lashing out with both hands, I managed to grab each edge of the window to prevent BOTH of us from going over the edge. 

If Kisa saw this, she didn't react. She was pressing herself as hard as she could into me and had buried her face in my chest. She was still crying and just stood there. After I regained my balance, I slowly let go of the window frame and wrapped my arms instinctively around her. Her lungs worked like billows and her heart desperately tried to follow. Why was she so out of breath?

Before I could ponder further, Yuki, Kyo, Haru, and Momiji rushed into the room. This brought on another question. If she arrived separately from them, but got here first… I had taken the elevator up… She arrived way too quickly to have waited for it to come back down. She took the stairs?!? But in order to make it to this floor in about four minutes… she would have had to sprint the entire way. Slowly, her breath was returning to normal. She was so warm, though, and it felt good against me… either that or I was just really cold.

Looking back up from the angel in my arms, I saw that Kyo and Yuki were frozen in mid-step. Their arms were extended slightly as if reaching for me, but they probably thought that the slightest move they did would make me decide to step backwards, hauling both Kisa and I into the city streets below. Heh… Kisa would first be pushed into the room if I decided to go. One thing I could NEVER do is kill Kisa. I couldn't even fathom it. Momiji was standing between Kyo and Yuki and just staring sadly at us… Hatsuharu was actually wearing a frown. No one spoke, so I glanced back down at Kisa. She was back to breathing normally and her heart had finally slowed, but she was still crying. Brushing the left side of her hair back with my hand, I tried my hardest to smile at her. The muscles required to smile wouldn't respond, so I gave up.

"Kisa… let go. You don't need me anymore… You have all the confidence you need now to succeed in life and plenty of friends to start with," I spoke gently to her.

"Hiro… I will always 'need' you because I love you…" she replied. What? Not this again…

"Kisa. Stop playing with my emotions. I've realized that you only needed me for moral support and protection and I have accepted this," I responded.

She shook her head rapidly and finally looked up at me, smiling. "It might have looked like that, but I just seriously screwed up my priorities… I've always loved you, Hiro." What?

"Then why did you act like we weren't even a couple most of the time?" I asked. At least I didn't feel like jumping anymore. I should at least hear her out…

"I had thought… No… It was completely illogical… You wouldn't understand," she tried to say.

"Try me…" I replied. She looked back up at me smiling. Finally able to return her smile, I had a big desire to kiss her at the moment but resisted. Yuki and Kyo seemed to relax slightly and dropped their arms…

* * *

**Death's Calling**

* * *

Hope was starting to come back to me. Hiro was still rational enough to listen to me! I could explain finally about the email! I don't think he would understand how I felt about my friends, though. It WAS rather illogical. Now that I think back to it… I was so stupid. Hiro waited patiently for me to continue. He was so warm and it was nice to hug him again after I thought I would never be able to… 

Looking back up at him, I smiled. "Well for some stupid reason I thought that my new friends were so…" I started to explain.

That's when it happened. I finally understood what Hiro meant when he said, "Sometimes time seems to get stuck…" A massive gust of wind hit. Catching both of us off guard, we rotated sideways! Starting to tip backwards, Hiro lashed out with his left hand and caught the window! Everything seemed so slow… My heart stopped as I was swung out into open air! My legs dangled beneath me and only Hiro's right arm wrapped tightly around me prevented me from falling to my death! Quickly reaching up, I wrapped both arms around Hiro's neck to support myself against him. Sis screamed again, but Hiro just swung around and hit the OUTSIDE of the window. I watched in horror as it cracked when he collided with it. Struggling to hold on to me and balance on the tiny lip of the window, Hiro's eyes widened. Watching in slow motion, I saw Sis, Yuki, and Kyo start to rush forward. Momiji and Haru looked like they were in shock.

Things seemed to slow down even more as a cracking noise sounded through the air around us. My world inverted! I was still holding on to Hiro, but the window frame he used to be holding on to was in his hand now… separate from the window! His mouth was wide open, like his eyes, as he just stared at the frame in his hand. We were already at a forty-five degree angle to the rest of the building when my gaze slowly shifted to inside the building. Kyo, Yuki, and Sis stopped dead in their tracks and watched in horror as we left the side of the building. All I could do was blankly stare into Sis' eyes before we dropped below the window level…

* * *

**Gone**

* * *

Everything had seemed fine. Hiro was still rational and willing to listen to Kisa. All she would have to do is explain the situation and everything would be fine. Letting down my guard, I dropped my hands slightly. Kyo did the same to my right. Finally, I could breathe again. 

Miss Honda suddenly screamed to my left! Instantly alert, my head shot back up to look. A wind had hit Hiro and Kisa all of a sudden! They were pushed sideways but Hiro managed to grab the window frame. They swung around and hit the outside of the window to the right, instead. We all started to rush forward again, but a heartbeat later, there was a cracking noise and the frame Hiro was holding on to broke off the window! All I can remember is Kisa's shocked face as she disappeared past the window! For a while, we all just froze there. What just happened? Hiro and Kisa just fell off the eightieth story of a skyscraper, that's what happened! How long did we all say frozen? Seconds? Minutes? Who knows…? Suddenly, things were moving again. Tohru rushed forward. She shouldn't see this! All I could picture was Hiro's and Kisa's broken bodies on the cement eighty floors down! Quickly lashing out, I grabbed her with my left hand and pulled her down again. Momiji rushed forward and grabbed her other arm.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

"You shouldn't see this, Miss Honda!" I shouted back.

Kyo and Haru rushed over to what was left of the window and looked down. After what felt like forever of waiting, they turned back around. My eyes hungrily searched their faces for answers…

* * *

**Death's Gaze**

* * *

Hiro was completely correct about time slowing down. We were falling… and I could easily count the windows as they went by. What was happening? That's easy. We are going to fall eighty stories to our deaths. What had happened? Where did I go wrong? That was also easy. Emotions burned away from my logic like everything else under Death's gaze. My friends didn't deserve as much attention as Hiro did. This universal truth I now stumbled upon… too late. Hiro tossed aside the metal frame of the window then and looked down at me. Hiro… Forever my friend and love. Why was I so stupid…? Nothing mattered. I felt like laughing. The grades that I had tried so hard to get… all of the friends I had made… nothing. It all equaled up to zero, and now the only one that mattered at all, I realize, was the one that I had been ignoring entirely! 

Looking up at him, I smiled. He seemed confused so I reinforced my feelings. Summoning all of the love that I could, I lean forward and put a tender kiss onto his lips. Probably my last, now that I think about it. Pulling away slightly, I was sad that the moment was over. All I could do is smile at him. Secretly, I had hoped that one day I could live with him. Traveling the world with Hiro would have been so fun! Raising a family with him would have been so lovely. Nothing now, though. All I had left was maybe twenty seconds with him. It wasn't fair… Maybe in our next life, my love…

Pulling myself against him, I was determined to slip away from this life smiling up at him… but he had looked away. He was glancing towards the ground then. What did it matter? Just float away with me… Quickly looking back down at me, his eyes blazed with fire! Mine widened as I saw his. He mouthed something to me? Hang on?!? What?!? My arms constricted around his stomach…

* * *

**Defying Fate**

* * *

My first thought surprised me. Stupid cheap window frame! It was the first normal thought that I had in a while. Feeling myself fall away from the side of the building, I realized that it was all over. After I tossed aside the window frame, I glanced downward. Secretly, I had hoped that she had leapt and landed in the room at the last second. Seeing her in my arms still was almost horror! This wasn't supposed to happen at all. She was supposed to continue living her life happily. Instead, I pulled her down with me. 

After the truck incident, I had become slightly precautious and had made a will. If my untimely death were to occur, I had left all of my money to Kisa to help her continue her life. Idly, I wondered who would get it now… Akito would certainly try, but I already included her in the will. I left her a dollar and a scanned picture of my middle finger that was in my safe at home. That would be amusing… She couldn't touch the money, so it would probably go to my mother instead.

Gazing down at Kisa, I noted that she was smiling up at me? It was a soft smile, but her eyes were filled with sadness. What could she be thinking about? Suddenly, she pulled herself upwards on me and placed a kiss on my lips. It was probably the most tender she had ever given me, and I could almost feel her love pour out of it. Then I realized… she was saying goodbye. No… This wasn't right! Kisa was supposed to LIVE, not follow me! Glancing downward, I noted the ground about forty or so floors below. A car was still parked in front of the building and I saw a figure leaning against the front of it. Mother!?! This was ironic… With our current path of descent, we would go right thought the roof of the car. We would still die almost instantly and probably total the car just as quickly, but I wonder how that would affect Mother… No… This was all wrong!

Curse you, fate! I'm sick of being your jester! Ripping my gaze along the side of the building, I noticed something… a flagpole? The flags hadn't been hung yet because it wasn't exactly spring… The poles were supposed to be flexible enough to withstand almost hurricane winds and not snap. It was about our last chance… Glancing back at Kisa, she was still smiling up at me. I tried mouthing "hang on" to her. Her eyes widened and she constricted her arms around my waist. She had gotten the message.

Looking back down, I lashed my right hand out as quickly as I could. My left wrapped tightly around Kisa. The tip of the flag pole came into my hand so rapidly that I almost didn't think I had caught it! Suddenly, ripping pain shot down my right arm, but I ignored it. Kisa managed a little yelp as we slowed. The world seemed to go vertical and I glanced back up at the pole. It had bent almost completely downward, but managed to hold! Using the pole to achieve a slingshot effect, we went sideways into the building. Thankfully, there was a window below and a little to the left of the pole. Because we had grabbed the pole to the right we swung into the window instead of the wall.

My feet went through the window first, which broke most of the glass almost instantly. Rotating as I went, I positioned myself under Kisa and almost tucked into a ball around her. Hitting back first, I felt a sharp pain go through me, but we slid. Rapidly making a vicious spiral, I brought my feet back around just before we hit the wall on the other side of the room. The impact was intense, but I held on to Kisa so she wouldn't fly off me and hit the wall. Then, everything stopped moving…

* * *

**Second Chance**

* * *

We had stopped? What happened? Did we die? Slowly opening my eyes, everything was dark at first. Then my eyes adjusted to the lighting. We were in one of the hallways of the building. Looking down, I noticed Hiro looking up at me. He was breathing heavily, but smiling. We were alive?!? Relief flooded through my mind. My grades could be used again in the future! I would be able to see my friends again! I stopped there. Almost dying had cleared my mind… In the end, Hiro was everything to me. Now that I had gotten the second chance, I had to make sure that I didn't waste it. Especially doing the same thing that I had before! 

My expression quickly matched his and I bent down to place another kiss on his lips. Now I could kiss him all I wanted again! It felt so good that I deepened it. For a while, we just lay there, so distracted with our kissing that we didn't bother to even look around. Eventually, he broke the kiss and sat up. Moving up with him, I looked around. He stood up then and walked over to the window that we had entered through. I wasn't really worried about him jumping again, so I just followed him. As I was glancing at his back, though, I stopped walking and gasped instead. Several shards of glass were sticking out of his back in various places!

"What was the gasp for? I'm not going to jump again until I hear your explanation…" he said after hearing me.

"I know you weren't going to jump… but your back!" I shouted. He reached behind him slightly but I had already grabbed his arm.

Thankfully, I had been in the Sohma skyscraper and knew that there was supposed to be a small medical closet on every floor. Ignoring his "Hey!" as I grabbed his arm, I pulled him through the hallway. Running rather quickly, I was watching the doors on the left side. Finally, I saw a giant red plus sign! Sliding to a halt, I moved the handle. Surprisingly, it was unlocked and opened freely. Inside was all sorts of medical supplies, a small sink, tubs, and towels… perfect! Quickly filling one of the tubs with warm water, I carried it, and a few towels out to Hiro. He was just smiling and shaking his head at me. What?!?

"Wait to bandage me up until after you explain. It would be pointless for you to bandage me, just for me to jump again afterwards…" he said softly. No!

"There's no need for you to jump. This was all a horrible mistake…" I pleaded. He just smiled at me.

"Then explain…" he spoke.

"Tell you what… I will explain to you WHILE I work on your back," I offered. He rolled his eyes but nodded.

Hiro lay down on the ground then and I kneeled beside him. Slowly bending over him, I started with the first glass shard. There were about ten or fifteen of them total, but they were rather small. Pulling it out made him wince a little bit, but it had to be done. I started talking while I worked and tossed the shard onto the towel I had beside me.

"For some stupid reason, I thought that my hard earned friends would be rather fragile…" I started. Not sure how to best convey my message, I guess that it was good to just start… "I felt that if I didn't spend a tremendous amount of time with them, that they would disappear as quickly as I had gotten them." Three shards total now on the towel.

"I'm pretty sure your friends are more flexible than that. Besides… would they really be your friends if they ditched you that quickly?" he asked. Stopping on the fifth shard, I thought about it… No they wouldn't. Why didn't I come to this conclusion? He kept talking. "Personally I wouldn't want friends like that but…"

"You're right… They wouldn't have hated me for spending time with my boyfriend. If they did, they wouldn't have been my friends in the first place... I'm sorry, Hiro…" I interrupted. Starting to pull out shards again, I listened to him.

"Well, Haru and I had a little talk about this whole thing anyway," he spoke next. He talks to Haru about me?! Uh oh… "He was the one that told me how you felt about your friends. It helped me for quite a while to hang on. I probably would have completely lost it the night of your freshman dance if he wasn't there. Don't be angry with him for telling me, though."

"I'm not. I'm glad he did tell you, now. Is that when you decided to just let me do whatever I wanted?" I asked out of curiosity. Eight shards now and climbing.

"Yeah. If your friends were that important to you, I guessed that you really needed them in that stage of your life, so I stepped back and let you go," he replied. There was a tint of sadness to his voice.

"It was really nice of you, Hiro, but I should have been spending a LOT more time with you. I put so much pressure on you… Sorry," I apologized. Another shard hit the towel.

"It's ok. I was determined to be your stable base so you had something that you knew would always be there for you. That way you could safely go out and have fun…" he explained. I nodded.

"Thank you for that, Hiro. I just wish that I could have seen what was happening sooner…" I replied sadly.

"Too late now… but we have a second chance at everything now. My only concern remaining is the email," he added. He was giving me a second chance?!?

"Oh! That was a horrible mistake! It wasn't supposed to go to YOU at all…" I explained, my happiness flooding into my voice.

He frowned up at me. "Who was it going to then?" he inquired.

"His name is Matsuki. He's my superior in the student government. He was really nice to start with, but then he started flirting with me so I was going to tell him off with that email. Sadly, I accidentally sent it to you instead," I explained, feeling so happy to be able to tell him. Then I watched his face. It went from frowning, to shock, and then finally to a warm smile. He had probably read though the letter in his head and reassigned all of the roles in it.

He started laughing then…? It made it a little difficult to pull the fourteenth, and last, shard out. "What's so funny?" I asked happily. Nothing could ruin my mood right now!

"All of this because of a stupid email mistake! Did you send me another afterwards?" he asked. I nodded. "You were probably running to my house, too…" he added. Wow… I'm really predictable.

"Yeah… I was going to apologize profusely to you and ask to stay an entire week with just you," I replied.

"Wow… That would have been great," he commented. Really?!?

"We still can now!" I exclaimed excitedly. He smiled up at me. The last shard hit the towel. "Take your shirt off," I ordered then. Walking back inside the medical closet, I put the plug down in the sink and dropped all the shards into it. After they were all in the sink, I started running the water. Letting it fill up, I dug into the supplies and withdrew the antibacterial and bandages. After turning the water off then, I withdrew a fresh towel and walked back out.

Hiro had most of his shirt off, but was having trouble with his right arm. It must still hurt from grabbing the pole. Setting the supplies down on the floor, I walked over to where he was and helped him get the shirt off. He let out a small yelp when I tossed the shirt into the garbage in the medical closet but there was no way that it could be repaired of all that damage.

Walking back out of the closet again, I picked up the supplies and then stopped when I looked back up at Hiro. This was the first time I had seen him without his shirt on since he had the bandages removed. My eyes traced an invisible line starting at his navel and going up in-between his abs. Flowing up to his face, I look into his eyes… oops… which are looking into mine. He blushed slightly and I probably mimicked him. Quickly walking over to him with the supplies, I knelt down again. Without needing me to tell him, he started to lie down. Stopping about halfway down, he reached out with his right hand and brushed it along my cheek.

"You're next…" he spoke gently before laying down the rest of the way. I'm next? What? Looking down at myself, I realized that my knee was still bleeding along with my left elbow. Oh…

Looking at the several puncture wounds on his back, I shook my head. There isn't going to be a painless way to do this. He seemed to feel my concern, though, and looked back up at me. "Get it over with all at once," he said softly to me. My eyes widened, but I nodded. Taking the cap off the bottle, I positioned the entire bottle over his back. I could never do this. I would want it one wound at a time to ease out the pain. This part, I definitely didn't want to do… Gulping slightly, I began to pour the antibacterial onto his back. Anticipating him asking me to do this, I had put a towel down under him, though. No scream? Not even a yelp? His right hand was shaking slightly, but he was taking deep breaths. I got slightly more courage then and spread it around his back. After I had washed all of the wounds out with the antibacterial, I also wiped them with the wet towel. Not only to make sure that I got all of the infection out, but also to get rid of some of the antibacterial. After they were dried off, I put an individual bandage on each one. After I put the last one on, he lifted himself off the towel and stood up.

He picked up the towels and tub, carrying them back into the closet. Dropping the towels into the same spot that I had put mine, he emptied the tub into the sink and filled it with fresh water. Carrying it and the new towels back with him, he knelt down in front of me. After I sat down on the ground beside him, he took my hand into his and extended my left elbow onto his lap. Then, he wetted a towel and started to dab my elbow with it. I only winced slightly, so he continued. When most of the blood has been cleaned up he switched towels and poured some antibacterial onto it. He smiled up at me and I nodded. The burning feeling soon extends up my arm, but I suppressed crying out. After he was done drying it, he wrapped a bandage around the elbow and rubbed my cheek. Only retreating after I kiss his palm, he looked down at the right knee. This one could be bad…

* * *

**Confusion**

* * *

"What do you mean 'nothing'?" I asked in disbelief. 

"They aren't down there!" Kyo exclaimed in slight shock. Yuki and Momiji let go of my arms and rushed over to the window. I followed after them. As Kyo said, there wasn't anything different with the street. No ambulance arriving or police cars… and no sign of the two teenagers that just fell off the side.

"Unless Hiro suddenly discovered how to fly…" Haru spoke. We all nodded in agreement and rushed out of the room. They must be down there somewhere, but how did they just disappear?

It only took us a couple of seconds to get back to the elevator. The ride back down, though… Nobody talked at all. Partially, we were all shocked still, but there was hope. There were no bodies to be seen, so maybe… just maybe they had managed to survive. I cherished Kisa and Hiro. Kisa was like a little sister to me and I couldn't stand to lose her. An agonizing five minutes later, the elevator finally reached the bottom. All four of us rushed out to the car. Hiro's mother was pacing back and forth in front of it. She stopped and smiled up at us when we exited the building, but quickly lost the smile when she didn't count Hiro among us. Yuki stepped forward to talk with her.

"Do you promise not to be too upset when you hear this, and let me explain till the end?" he asked her. She just nodded.

"Hiro was up on the top floor of the building. Miss Honda was trying to talk to him when we got there. Kisa somehow managed to beat us up there and was hugging Hiro when we arrived. Hiro was just calming down and starting to listen to her when a gust of wind hit them and put both of them out the window…" He trailed off there slightly. Hiro's mother's eyes widened tremendously and I saw tears building up. Yuki continued, "Now calm down. The thing is that they fell out of THIS side of the building. Did you see anything odd happen?" Yuki asked. Hiro's mother shifted to a puzzling frown instead.

"Shouldn't they have… landed here?" she asked with a gulp. Yuki nodded.

"This means that they never reached ground. Somehow, they just disappeared half way up…" Yuki stopped there. I think we all realized the same thing at once. The six of us looked up the side of the building, then.

"Look! The window about a third of the way up!" Momiji called out excitedly. I counted up and marked the broken window.

"It's the thirty-second floor!" I shouted. Deciding mutually, the six of us broke into a run towards the doors again…

* * *

**Promises and Flight**

* * *

Kisa was now in my lap. She had clung to me after I put the towel onto her knee. It must have really hurt and I could easily measure how much by how tightly she squeezed her arms around my neck... Finally, I had washed it thoroughly and dried it. Wrapping a bandage around it then, I looked into her eyes again. She was smiling at me now and placed a kiss on my lips before crawling off me. Both of us stood up. 

"Think they know what's happened yet?" she asked.

"They have probably made it down by now. The window wouldn't be that hard to see from the street. Mother might have heard it break too, but I think she would be here by now if she did," I replied.

Both of us walked down the hallway and turned at the "T" towards the elevator. As we approached, I noticed that the floor indicator light was going up. It was already on floor twenty! It was going up? They must have seen the window and now were on their way back up! Turning quickly to Kisa, I noted that she was just looking up at the indicator.

"If you stay here, Kisa, I'm sure that they will escort you home tonight," I told her. She gave me a questioning look.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I can't face them quite yet… especially my mother, so I'm taking the stairs," I explained.

"What!?!" she exclaimed.

"I will get in touch with you later!" I shouted as I rushed toward the stairs.

Just as I cleared the first flight, I heard my footsteps being echoed from above. Stopping, I looked back up. Kisa was following me down.

"What are you doing?!? You should hurry back home. Your mother is probably worried about you by now," I told her.

"Don't even try it, Hiro… You can't change my mind. I'm going wherever you're going," she replied confidently, smiling. I just shook my head.

"Well, I guess we will leave them to figure it out then… Let's go!" I called as we rushed down the stairs…

* * *

**Mysteries**

* * *

Exiting the elevator, we quickly rushed towards the crossing. The broken window was the first thing I saw. How could those brats have even entered through the window? And where were they?!? Broken glass was all over the floor with a little bit of blood mixed in. Momiji and Haru went right and started to explore that way. I took Tohru and headed left. Yuki stayed behind with Hiro's mother, looking at the scene of the disaster. 

Walking left, Tohru and I strolled down the hall, looking at the doors on the left side. After walking about halfway down the hallway, I noticed that one of the doors was open slightly. It was the medical closet. That made sense, I guess. I stopped and started toward it. Tohru was apparently looking out the window instead of looking at me, because she immediately crashed into me. Her arms slipped slightly around my waist and "poof", I was a cat…

"Watch where you're walking, you stupid girl!" I screamed before thinking about what I wanted to say.

"I'm sorry, Kyo! I didn't mean to… I just wasn't watching…" Tohru apologized. I just shook my head.

"It's ok… Just pick up my clothes and let's continue… That door is partially open. We should check it out," I replied. Tohru was gathering my clothes up by then. I saw Yuki looking down the hallway, chuckling. Grr… I'll get him back later! Tohru pushed the door open then and we wandered in.

Inside, there were a lot of medical supplies and a small sink. Hopping from box to box, I make it to the rim of the sink. Glass shards? How did a large amount of glass shards get into the sink? Why were they floating in a pink liquid? Bending down, I sniffed the liquid. Water? No… Something else too… blood. Tohru's yelp almost put me INTO the sink. Quickly turning around, I glanced down at what she was looking at. There was a large pile of towels on the floor. They seem to have been stained red in splotches. Well… They definitely used this closet to recover from whatever wounds they had received from the fall. The only thing is that if they could make it to the closet, they weren't that wounded to begin with…

My thoughts were interrupted slightly with the usual "poof" and I was soon sprawling at Tohru's feet, devoid of any clothing. She let out a slight yelp and turned around rapidly, dropping my clothes onto me. After I changed, we walked out of the closet and headed back towards the others. Yuki was looking closely at the floor when we got there.

"They broke through the window and slid across the floor, hitting against that wall," he said then. The spiraled blood streak must have given their trajectory away. "They must have walked off somewhere."

"They used the medical closet down there. One of them must have gotten a load of glass shards into them and the other pulled them out over there. They were all floating in a sink filled with pink water. Lots of bloody towels, too, so they must have patched themselves back up," I explained.

"Where did they go afterwards, then? Why aren't they here waiting for us?" Hiro's mother asked.

"He probably doesn't want to face us after what happened to him. He's a very self-conscious person," Momiji said as he walked back towards us with Haru.

"Then where's Kisa?" Tohru asked. That's easy…

"Kisa is wherever Hiro is…" Haru beat me to answering.

"She must have gotten a pretty big scare and doesn't want to leave Hiro's side now…" Momiji commented. The brat can be annoying sometimes, but he was perceptive.

"Where did they go, then?" I asked. It looked like even Momiji was at a loss. Then he started thinking for a little bit.

"How long have we been investigating here?" he asked.

"About fifteen minutes, I would say." Yuki commented.

"If Hiro is going to disappear for a while, he's going to need supplies…" Momiji commented. Point…

"Where would he go?" Tohru asked.

"Probably his house. If Kisa is with him, he could get the best of both worlds there. Kisa still has a tremendous amount of her clothing in his closet and he could pick up clothes for himself, too," Momiji deduced. He scares me sometimes.

All of us nodded in agreement and headed towards the elevator again…

* * *

**Chapter 15 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Woot for rapidly getting chapters out! Well... rapid for ME anyway. Hey, at least I didn't make you guys wait too long for this one AND it had a better ending than the last. Heh. My editor and I were on a roll for a while so I hope you enjoy. My foreshadowing loop is now completed but if things go as planned, there may be another shortly... -grin- Depends on how many more chapters I decide to do but it should be a LOT more. Stay safe, everyone.

Oh, as a side note, I'm thinking of expanding the other relationships a little too. Anybody have any suggestions for pairings? I'll probably open a forum up for this story shortly. I hope for good results!

-Angsty Tiger

**Individual Review Responses: **

**egocentric-theorem:** Well surprise is a GOOD thing in this case. Yes, I'm a little surprised too. Kisa got smarter in this one though, right? It's more like they understand each other more, anyway. Here's your update and I hope you like. -smiles briefly before being flooded in cookies- Oro... -dizzy eyes- Mmm... pastries. -grins slightly, then starts munching a cookie that landed near his face- Oh... don't worry about embarrassing me, though. It's rather easy to do... heh... -blink blink-

**lightningstrxu:** Agreed! Or at least promote one of her friends to a secretary position and follow her around everywhere. -blinks, then laughs at the mental image- Anyway... I thank you for reviewing once more and hope you like this chapter too! You've been reviewing for a WHILE now, though! Wow... Since... what? Chapter five?!? Thanks for being such a long-time fan!

**Fantasy Dreamer 91:** Ooooh! A new reviewer! Excellent! I'm glad you like the story and I thank you for reviewing! -blinks- Didn't think I'd have a worshipper though. Huh. And to think, I originally did this story just for fun... Thank you again!

**Renia The Weirdo:** This chapter was better, right? -gulps- So you don't have to worry about the sad ending at the moment and... HEY!!! -pouts- I got this up in less than a month. It doesn't ALWAYS take me months... -sigh- Thank you for reviewing and I hope you like THIS chapter instead. -sticks out tongue-

**Duel Soul:** Hey, it's part of my name, right? Heh. Fluff also seems to be an unwritten decree. Ah well. And yes, I did include supernatural, didn't I? Well it's written into the story, don't worry. I'm estimating that it won't start until twenty or twenty one, though. I have one more story arc to get through, first. -averts eyes- Sorry... You're right though. Hiro IS patient. He'll probably need a hug though so hug away. Just don't let Kisa see you turn him into a sheep... -chuckles- -is about to accept the cookie when it is oh so sorrowfully moved from his grasp- Noooooooooooooo! -Darth Vader scream- This chapter was better, right? -whines- Well I thank you... I think... for reviewing and torturing me with a cookie... I hope you like this chapter better, anyway. -blinks-

**Princess Lady Subaru:** -chuckles- Don't worry about it. You're, as of now, my longest running reviewer. -smiles- Thank you for yet another review! Hope this repents Kisa a little bit, though. You should really... um... -watches you run off- Uh... never mind. Just hurry so your Mom doesn't kill you. -sticks tongue out- Thanks again for the review!

**Daolon:** Uh... um... err... Scary. Yes, drama is very useful in creating an angsty setting. Heh. Well I hope you don't mind the slightly slower update this time. To tell the truth, I was recovering from surgery and forgot to post the chapter. It was online... and... um... kinda done already with everyone's replies... and I just kinda... forgot to post it. Don't kill me! -cries- Thank you for reviewing, though. Hope you like this chapter too!

**Anonymous:** There, how's that? I think that chapter ended a LITTLE better, anyway. And I'm sure Hiro will recover with only... minor mental scarring. -shifty eyes- Thank you for reviewing again! I hope you liked this chapter too!


	16. Runaways

* * *

**Chapter 16 – Runaways**

* * *

Everything was happening so quickly. Wondering about the events that led up to this point in my life, I drew a blank. Here I am, sneaking through my own house in case my mother gets back too soon, gathering clothes up and depositing them into bags. Kisa was helping me pack quickly. We had said very little since our near death experience. I now fully understand her reasoning though, and I'm pretty sure she knows mine now. It does feel like I'm closer to her, although I don't understand why she had decided to go with me. 

Finishing her clothes bag, she quickly looked around the room and then over at me. I pointed to my backpack leaning up against the wall. She nodded and rushed over to deposit the backpack in our collection of bags. On a whim, I decided to pack my laptop up as well. Finally sliding its power cord into the bag, I slipped it over my shoulder.

Quickly leaving my room, both of us headed back downstairs. There was one more thing that we needed to do before we can escape for a while. If I had guessed correctly, Momiji would have deduced that I would have come here first. He would have been correct of course, but I was on to him. Standing along the wooded hillside, Kisa and I waited in the dark. Kisa was almost a natural at stealth; I guessed that it was the tiger showing through in her. Watching the road below, we noted them passing by. As I thought, in order to cut time, they moved past Kisa's house… Come on Tohru…

Just as I had pictured, Tohru broke off from the rest of the group after chatting with them, and headed up the driveway to Kisa's house. Kisa's mother met her at the door and started talking with her. It would seem that Shigure already called. I saw Kisa's mother nod and follow Tohru out of the house. Ha! She would be going over to my house to await our arrival. Too late…

After we watched them walk down the road, Kisa and I made our way around to the side of the house. Kisa had the key to the side door, but she hadn't remembered to take it out of her room. Cursing my luck again, I positioned myself on the ridge at the back of her house. Kisa's hand fell upon my shoulder all of a sudden. I turned around to face her again, but she was already leaning in. Her lips pressed firmly into mine and I put my arms around her lightly. After she had broken off she whispered, "Good luck," and retreated a few steps.

Getting a slight running start, I cleared the distance between the ridge and Kisa's balcony, landing on the handrail. After a moment of careful balance, I rolled off it and onto the balcony. The door to her room was unlocked like she said it would be. I walked into her room and looked around. Her backpack was leaning up against the wall near her bed, so I grabbed it first. What else had she told me to get?

Finally remembering, I snatched the small, light pink container off the dresser. She said it contained her hair ribbons, which she would want later. After the container was securely in the bag, I opened up her bedside table drawer. The small compact was sitting near the back like she said that it was. Odd… I have never seen Kisa wear makeup before… and why was it in her bedside stand instead of on her dresser? Whatever… I dropped it into my bag and moved on. On an impulse, I entered the bathroom and started moving her accessories into her backpack as well. I didn't know that Kisa had so many perfumes. After I stuck her toothbrush in the bag, I zipped it back up and decided to wear it on my shoulder. Thankfully, Momiji wasn't here with his camera tonight. Getting caught wearing a yellow and pink backpack was something I DIDN'T want to do.

Grabbing Kisa's key ring, I walked downstairs after turning off her lights again. Going through the front door this time, I re-locked it using her keys once I got outside. Kisa greeted me when I exited the front gate.

"Did we actually pull all of that off?" she asked excitedly.

"Looks that way… You're becoming the regular stealthy ninja…" I teased. Kisa just giggled.

"Your training has assisted me greatly, master!" she replied.

"Master! Very funny…" I answered.

"Well you're technically a black belt. I shift all of my training into your hands!" she announced. WHAT?!?

"Really?" I asked in disbelief.

"Of course. I would love it if you trained me completely," she responded. I couldn't help but smile.

"Ok…" I replied hesitantly.

"Don't you want to?" she asked.

"It's not that. Not only am I a sixteen year old black belt, but now I have taken on a student…" I commented.

"More of an apprentice unless you are planning on teaching more than just me," she replied.

"Nope, only you. From now on then you are my official apprentice!" I announced. She nodded happily. Maybe she will have a reason to spend more time with me now…

Both of us set out to our next destination…

* * *

**Discovery**

* * *

We had waited for over an hour. There was no sign of Hiro or Kisa showing up. Sitting on the couch, I just watched Yuki and Kyo. They hadn't fought all night, which must have been a record for them. Haru and Momiji had wandered around upstairs for a while, but Momiji was just coming down. 

"Looks like your guess wasn't correct, Momiji," Kyo spoke and Momiji reached the bottom of the stairs.

"No… I was entirely correct. They have already been here," he announced.

"How do you know?" Kisa's mother asked.

"His laptop is gone, along with a tremendous amount of clothes from both sides of the closet," he explained. Everyone looked down at the floor simultaneously. Why hadn't we checked their room at the start of the hour?

"Maybe everyone should go home for right now?" Hiro's mother suggested, then continued, "If they show up at anyone's house, we will just agree to spread the word."

"Make sure to treat them nicely, though. They could still be troubled over what happened earlier, and whatever you do… don't make any comments that hint towards the accident. They might try to block it out…" Momiji spoke to everyone. He WAS the future psychology major…

After a few more minutes of discussion, we all decided that it would be best to return home…

* * *

**Hideout**

* * *

The desk clerk was rather friendly so I wasn't concerned about him ratting us out. We had stopped by an ATM on the way in here. I wanted to withdraw at least SOME money before they tried to lock my account. Now happy with the several thousand in my wallet, I was talking to the desk clerk of the only hotel we could find with vacancies. Thankfully, they kept someone on all night too. 

"How long do you think you will be staying here?" he asked after I had given him information.

"Not sure yet…" I replied truthfully.

"Very well… You're in room 127. All you have to do is go down that hallway over there," he informed me, pointing. I nodded to him. Kisa finally came up with her bags. She had wanted to dig something out in the parking lot for some odd reason.

"Hey, Hiro! Do you have our room yet?" she asked as she approached. The desk clerk gave me a very odd, raised eyebrow stare. Figures…

"Yup! We're in room 127," I answered her.

"Oh good… I was hoping this place would have vacancies… I'm getting tired," she said. I nodded to her and she followed me to our room. Sliding the room card into the door, I heard the click as it unlocked. We wandered into the room and collapsed onto the bed. This wasn't the most expensive hotel in the area, but it had a bed, TV, and bathroom, so I was happy. We needed it, though, and could always try to find a better one later. Why couldn't she have waited for me to come out again like I had asked? The desk clerk gave me such a weird look, having only requested one bed… It had dropped the price down considerably though.

Glancing over at her, I noticed she was simply lying on her stomach watching me. There was a slight look of concern on her face though.

"What's wrong, Kisa?" I asked.

"I feel so evil… We didn't even tell anyone where we were going. Isn't that wrong?" she asked. A moral question?

"We're both over sixteen and can technically move out whenever we want now," I replied.

"Is this technically moving out, though, if we're planning on returning?" she asked. I hadn't decided if I EVER wanted to return.

"I'm not sure if I WILL be returning yet…" I replied sadly. Kisa's face saddened.

"You should… Your mother will miss you horribly," she added. Heh… Only until she remembers that I tried to kill myself. Then I will get lectured and probably sent away to some psychologist… I shrugged. As long as it's not Momiji… If I'm forced to listen to him for hours at a time, I probably WOULD kill myself… no… on second thought, I would probably just kill him.

I was so distracted in thought that I didn't notice Kisa leaning forward. My eyes widened as her mouth captured mine. I've missed her for so long now… Feeling all of my built up loneliness start to ebb away, I pulled her closer. There was no resistance whatsoever from her and she gently placed her hands on my chest. It was so nice to have her in my arms again. My tongue seemed to move of its own accord and licked at her lips. She opened her mouth slightly and allowed access. Taking up the invitation, I slid my tongue into her mouth. Why was she so submissive today? Usually she is a lot more aggressive than this… Shrugging off the thought, I wrapped around her tongue slightly. She giggled then and I felt her hands move from my chest. They were slowly sliding down my sides now, heading towards my thigh. Normally I wouldn't have minded one bit, but today I was a little self-conscious of the small item I had forgotten to remove from my pocket. Reluctantly, I broke away from the lovely kiss. Kisa glanced down at her hand still resting on my waist.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself…" she apologized.

"It's ok. It's just that I'm a little sleepy right now…" I lied. Who would really be sleepy after that…?

"Oh! Ok… I'm going to go change into my pajamas then," she said as she sat up. I watched her walk into the bathroom before pulling a light pair of shorts and a shirt out of my bag. Normally I wouldn't mind sleeping shirtless with Kisa, but I didn't want my moving to shift the bandages. Deciding to just remain with the boxers, I packed my dirty clothes in a separate compartment. If Kisa didn't inspect too closely, she would probably think these were just shorts. Oh well. I didn't really mind that much and doubted if she would.

Lying there on the bed, I started to get an idea. Even thought technically we were runaways… that didn't mean that we couldn't have a night on the town. I think Kisa had packed her dress in her bag. Maybe Mother wouldn't be quite so angry if I came home with a fiancée. Heh…

My thoughts were disrupted when Kisa came out of the bathroom. As I had thought, she didn't pay the least bit of attention to my boxers, and lay down beside me on the bed. After I had used the bathroom once more, I came back and slid in beside Kisa. Turning out the lights and settling down on the pillow, I heard a slight rustling. Kisa cuddled into me then and I wrapped my arms around her.

"At least neither of us has to pretend to use a couch this time…" I joked. Kisa laughed.

"It is kind of nice just being able to crawl into bed with you and not hide it," she commented.

"It's going to be nice to get some sleep, though. What a day!" I exclaimed.

"Well it's not every day you fall off an eighty story building," Kisa added. My turn to laugh.

"Point… All I could think about was that I didn't want you to die. Then I came up with that crazy idea!" I added.

"Hiro…" Kisa spoke softly. I brushed the side of her cheek then.

"That's just how much I love you, Kisa," I told her.

"Well from now on I'm going to try to make myself worthy of that love. No more being stupid and ignoring you! You won't be able to escape me from now on…" she added a playful tone to that last part. I chuckled.

"Who said I ever wanted to escape you…" I replied with an equally playful tone. She giggled again and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on my lips. I just smiled at her.

"Trust me… Things will be very different from now on," she told me. The playfulness was gone from her voice though.

"What, did you have a revelation when we almost died?" I asked sarcastically. It came out a little on the serious side, but ah well. What I wasn't expecting was a nod.

"Actually, I did. I realized that the only person to really matter to me was the one I had been ignoring for so long. Yes, friends are nice to have but my oldest friend can't be ignored like that, especially if I claim to love him," she explained. Hearing her talk about me in the third person when I was the only one listening was kind of weird but I didn't mind. She continued before I could say anything though, "Hiro, do you want me to let you in on a little secret?" she asked.

"Um… if you feel you want to tell me," I replied. The last thing I wanted was Kisa being uncomfortable around me.

"When we first started to fall I was so sad…" she told me.

"Sad?" I inquired. She nodded.

"Yes. Ever since I met you, I had always hoped that we could do all kinds of fun stuff together. You know… travel the world, see rare sights, and attend huge parties. When you changed from my best friend to my boyfriend, I could safely add a few more items to that list. Namely, spending my entire life with you if I could… Maybe even raising a family…" she started to explain. My eyes widened considerably. "Now that you had gotten Akito's permission to date me… That makes it even easier for you to possibly get permission for other things as well. I was so happy! Then we fell off the side of the building because of a stupid mistake on my part…" she stopped there. Knowing already, I extended my hand and wiped the tears out of her eyes. She smiled at me and seemed to gain enough courage to go on, "I felt ashamed for one. Our future was ruined because of me… but also I felt sad. We could never do any of the things that I had dreamed of for so long. It felt like we were cheated out of so much…" she stopped there.

"That's how I felt too. I was so sick of constantly getting everything I attempted shot down… Every time I tried to make you happy I was either interrupted mid-attempt or someone else took the credit for it. I couldn't have let it end like that…" I replied. It was nice to get the feelings off my chest…

"Hiro… I realize more of your attempts than you would think…" Kisa whispered softly to me. She was still only an inch or so away and I heard her perfectly. She pressed herself even harder against me then and kissed me on the lips. Happily accepting it, I kissed back and pretty soon we had deepened it again. I couldn't seem to help myself though. It had been so long since I had actually kissed her that I couldn't seem to get enough! Finally breaking the kiss, Kisa pulled away slightly. Leaning forward again, she nuzzled my cheek. Waiting a few minutes for her to pull back, I was surprised when she didn't. Instead her breathing deepened and she fell asleep with her face still pressed gently into mine. Maybe we were closer somehow… Only slightly closer physically, it was probably more of a spiritual closeness. I felt almost like I was a part of her. Smiling at the thought I closed my eyes. Did she really say that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me? Raise a family with me? For the first time in a long while, I could fall asleep thinking happy thoughts…

* * *

**Plans**

* * *

Somehow, we had managed to stay in almost the same position all night. We had been training in our dreams. I guess this gave her a slight advantage as she could train all night and wake up completely refreshed. My eyes slowly opened up. To my surprise, hers remained closed for a few seconds. When she started to smile, I knew she was purposely keeping them closed. Gently, she nuzzled my face again before opening her eyes finally and sliding back an inch or so. 

"Good morning, Hiro…" she spoke quietly. No matter what we did in our dreams, she always seemed to slightly slur her first few words together. It was due to just waking up because sometimes I would do it too, but I still thought it was cute.

"Good morning, Kisa," I replied in an equally slurred voice. She giggled.

"That was a rather good idea you had. We can train now without actually tiring ourselves out," Kisa added.

"As long as we can stop ourselves from cheating, though," I responded in a joking tone.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Kisa asked, sounding slightly confused.

"Well let's see… It's a dream so we can defy gravity to the point of flying, move as fast as our imaginations will let us, and lift pretty much anything we desire…" I explained. Kisa just snickered.

"That's part of what makes it so fun. Besides, you seem to be able to keep one area pretty much locked down to the rules of physics. I couldn't believe how good you are at controlling your dreams," she answered.

"I've just had more practice than you… You will get better at it, don't worry. At least we can practice some of our moves in there," I commented.

Kisa sat up slightly, supporting herself with her left hand. Her right hand was playing with the bottom of her hair. There seemed to be a slight tangle in the longer lock on the left. I just watched her smiling. When she just woke up she looked so cute. Eventually deciding to move, though, I slid the blankets back down. She stopped fidgeting with her hair then, but continued her slightly downward angle. Her eyes widened a miniscule amount, though, so I glanced back over at her.

"What's wrong, Kisa? Did you just remember something?" I asked jokingly.

"Um… Hiro? Are those… um… boxers?" she asked hesitantly. My gaze shot down following hers and confirmed that she was indeed correct. I had entirely forgotten that I had been wearing them last night. Feeling my face get slightly red, I refused to look back up at her.

"Well… I thought that I would get too hot if I slid on another pair of shorts, but… if you're uncomfortable with me sleeping in boxers, then…" I explained hesitantly.

"Actually, I was just curious. Usually you're wearing shorts. I'm used to the lack of a shirt but you've never slept in your underwear before," she explained. Not helping my face color, Kisa!

"Well, usually I sleep in a lot less than this, but if you're with me, that's a little difficult. Sorry…" I replied. Kisa frowned.

"You usually don't wear anything when you sleep, then?" she asked. I just nodded. My cheeks were finally getting back to the appropriate color.

"Well… um… I suppose that if you didn't want to… wear anything… I probably wouldn't… mind," she responded. The color returned in a heartbeat and her face quickly matched mine.

"No… I'm perfectly ok with sleeping in boxers…" I replied after a moment's recovery. Thankfully I hadn't fallen off the bed…

"Well if you're sure then… By the way, how long are we planning on staying here?" she asked. I hadn't really thought much about it...

"I'm not sure… why?" I asked back.

"Well it's technically Sunday now and our finals are still tomorrow," Kisa replied. Oops… I had forgotten about them. Hmm… Then an idea hit me.

"And what's stopping us from going to school like usual and taking our finals?" I asked playfully. Kisa's eyes widened but she started to smile.

"That's so… sneaky!" she exclaimed, laughing. "Momiji and Haru will be in my last class!"

"I don't have a last class so I will be waiting outside the front doors to pick you up… rapidly. Just run from them. Make sure to finish the last exam quickly…" I explained. This was going to be good!

"That's so mean, Hiro!" she added, still laughing. "It's still rather funny, though… in a prank sort of way."

"Very well then. The important thing is that we get our exams done with," I added. Kisa nodded.

"I think I'm going to go take a shower now…" she said after a bit of considering. I nodded.

After I watched her enter the bathroom, I smiled. Reaching to my left a little, I snatched the phone off the hook. After so many times, I had memorized the number by now. Quickly dialing, I heard the phone start to ring. Michael, the owner of the establishment, actually picked up. I had gotten to know Michael through all of my special dealings with the restaurant. He was actually an American that moved over here with his wife. She is the head of a large electronics team that got moved out of the United States. His name was a little odd, but I didn't mind. He was a rather nice guy but reminded me a little of Shigure at times.

"Hey, Michael…" I spoke quietly into the phone.

"Oh! Hey, Hiro! How's Kisa's prince today?" he asked. After all the times we had been there, I guess he knew Kisa fairly well too.

"Fairly good," I whispered.

"What's with the low voice?" he finally asked.

"Hear the water running in the background?" I asked back.

"Yeah…" he replied.

"That would be Kisa in the shower. I'm trying not to be heard by her," I explained.

"She actually takes showers at your house?" he asked. He could be rather nosy sometimes… That's partially why he reminded me of Shigure.

"Well… yes, but we aren't at my house at the moment," I answered. This could be amusing.

"Her house?" he asked like I thought he would.

"Nope…" I lead.

"Um… Then where?!?" he finally asked.

"Just a random hotel," I answered nonchalantly.

"Whoa! Sorry for asking!" he apologized. Laughing slightly, I replied.

"It's ok… It's not like that anyway. Do you have reservations for tonight?" I asked finally.

"Well, we're kind of packed tonight…" he started to say.

"Come on, Michael! Tonight is a very important night and it could get you a little publicity, too," I added. Some restaurants took pride in their romantic air and having someone propose in the restaurant is sure to get around. Hopefully nobody that we knew would be there.

"What on earth do you have planned for your lady friend tonight?!?" he asked.

"Lets just say that I hope to make her even more of MY lady friend after tonight," I spoke cryptically. I wouldn't ever consider Kisa MINE but hopefully he would get the hint.

"Oh my! This IS special! I'm sure I can arrange something then. What time are we shooting for?" he asked.

"About six would be perfect," I answered happily.

"Ok then! I will see you at six!" he announced.

"Will do!" I replied as I hung up the phone.

Lying back down on the bed, I decided to just wait. My instincts told me to go out and have fun with Kisa until six, but we might get spotted… The shower stopped running then and Kisa came out after a few minutes. She had a towel wrapped around her hair, but a few strands stuck out still. There was another towel wrapped around HER… She slowly walked over to me, still half asleep, and lay down beside me on the bed.

"Shower is done… Your turn…" she replied, sounding like she could fall back asleep right here.

Wandering into the bathroom then, I started getting undressed. As I was removing my shirt, I remembered that I still had the bandages on… Walking back out into the main room minus my shirt, I got an odd look from Kisa. I turned around though and heard her sit up on the bed.

"I'll take them off… a moment," she said. One by one I felt them being removed, though it didn't really hurt.

"They look really good!" she exclaimed after she got all the bandages.

"Well that's good. Let's see how they stand up to a shower," I added in a joking manner. Kisa's giggling followed me back into the bathroom. Not bothering to shut the door, I dropped my boxers and slid into the shower. The water felt really good running down me, so I decided to turn around. At first there was a light stinging sensation, but that quickly dissipated. Not as bad as I thought… Turning to my left, I noticed that the upper portion of the shower curtain was slightly see though. Glancing out into the bathroom beyond I saw Kisa enter?!?

"How are you doing in there?" she asked, concerned.

"They actually don't hurt that much. It feels kind of good!" I replied. She smiled then and sat down on the counter near the sink. I relaxed a little...

"Well that's good…" she replied. Still sitting on the counter, she looked towards the floor. I then noticed that her clothes were still in a pile on the tile. Golden-Orange?!? That was an interesting surprise. Usually she didn't like to wear colors that matched her hair… of course, most people probably wouldn't see THOSE colors.

"What do you want to do today?" she asked suddenly.

"Well, we can pretty much do anything until six tonight…" I told her slyly.

Her head shot up towards me then. "Why? What's at six?" she asked. I smiled at her then.

"I've made some more plans for us at six…" I replied. Kisa pouted playfully. She didn't say anything more so I went back to washing. After a while she looked back up at me.

"Do you mind if I use the bathroom really quickly?" she asked. What?!?

Suddenly, I decided that my left shoulder needed some more washing and turned to face the wall. "Go for it…" I answered. Kisa certainly has gotten more comfortable around me lately… She didn't mind me sleeping in boxers; she sits in the bathroom and chats with me while I'm taking a shower… What's next? Taking a shower WITH me? I turned slightly red at that idea. What was wrong with me today?!? If she was comfortable doing these things around me then I shouldn't have a problem with it… Sadly, my thought process was interrupted when I heard the flushing noise followed by the traditional "oops" sound from Kisa. Oh no... I had just enough time to widen my eyes before the water hitting my back got rather hot… no… more of a BURNING!!! My scream probably echoed through the entire hotel. All I could think of was getting out of the fire as soon as possible.

Hearing Kisa's sharp intake of breath, I realized that it was probably a bad idea but only slightly better than having my skin burned off completely. Glancing over at her I noticed that her back was very quickly turned to me. Checking her reflection in the mirror I noticed she was a bright scarlet. Then she noticed the mirror too… Letting out slight yelp she slid to the ground then, completely covering her face. I quickly grabbed a towel.

"It's ok now, Kisa…" I spoke after wrapping the towel around me.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking and I just…" she started.

"It's ok! I'm not angry…" I interrupted her.

"You… aren't?" she asked in slight disbelief, finally risking a glance behind her. Her face was still pink which told me she had seen a little more than back in our living room so long ago… It didn't really bother me, though. I simply shook my head. Kisa smiled then and crawled towards me.

"Your back… did you burn yourself?" she asked, concerned now.

"I hope not…" I replied, rotating around to give her a better look. After running a finger down my back she smiled back up at me.

"Thankfully it isn't burned… just a little red," she announced.

"Sorry about that… I probably should have said something before stepping out of the shower," I apologized.

"You DID say something. You screamed…" she added. I laughed. "I'm the one who should be responsible, though," she added in a slightly sad voice. Extending my arms I pulled her into me.

"It's ok. Just a simple accident with no harm done, besides… I was done washing myself anyway…" I explained. After letting go of her I stood up and she followed.

"Um… do you want me to even the score?" she asked. Huh? My questioning look must have shown though in my face because she smiled then. Reaching up, she hooked her index finger around the top of her towel. Quickly looking away, I started out of the room. "Hiro!" she shouted after me, but I just smiled.

"It's ok… I really don't mind," I told her as I slipped my new set of boxers on in the main room. She walked out of the bathroom then, pouting. I put on a pair of black jean shorts and a black t-shirt, then tucked the shirt in and turned back to Kisa.

"There is one more thing that I'm going to need before tomorrow, though," I told her.

"Oh? What is it?" she asked curiously. Turning back around, I started to dig through my bag. I was feeling in an evil mood today, so I decided to dress accordingly. Pulling out a pair of fingerless black gloves, I slipped them on. I liked this pair. Each glove had a small plate on the top of them that had a Yin Yang symbol. The symbol was in the form of a tiger and a dragon though. Hearing Kisa's towel hit the ground behind me, I decided to fidget with the gloves a little more.

"I'm going to need my bike for tomorrow. We are going to need to make a fast getaway," I finally replied.

"That's a good idea. Do you still have the extra seat on it?" she asked. Why would I ever take it off?

"Well of course!" I added happily. Kisa laughed. After waiting an appropriate amount of time, I peeked back around me slightly. Kisa was just slipping her shirt on. She looked over at me and smiled. "I'll be back shortly with the bike…" I told her as I headed towards the door.

"I'm going with you," she said then, following me.

"Kisa…" I spoke softly, turning around. She didn't stop walking though. Reaching out with her right hand, she set it down on my left shoulder.

Sliding the shirt slightly to the left then, she revealed the elongated scar along my shoulder. She looked at it sadly for a few seconds before looking back up at me.

"You've paid so much to be with me… so I'm going to stay with you," she explained then. I just smiled at her. She leaned forward and kissed me lightly.

Then I noticed something was slightly off. Glancing down at her, I noticed she was wearing a dark gray t-shirt? I didn't even think she HAD a t-shirt that wasn't pink or yellow. Going even further down I took note of the almost black pair of jean shorts they were tucked into. Jean shorts? I thought she only liked elastic. Noticing my attention she stood up slightly straighter. "Like?" she asked. I just gave her a questioning look. After she was done giggling, she continued, "I just decided to match you today." Getting another overall view, I commented.

"Well, it's not easy to picture you in an evil look at ALL, but…"

Then I laughed. She was still wearing the light pink and yellow bead bracelet. She gave it a shake then. "I never take it off…" she explained. Well it WAS waterproof… After rubbing her cheek, I turned around and headed out the door. We both had our keys so we just let the door close. The same desk clerk was still on duty so I gave him a nod as we headed out the door…

* * *

**Promises**

* * *

Acquiring my bike wasn't that difficult. It was in our garage so I didn't have to enter the house to get it. Unlocking the garage, I quickly ducked inside and found the bike lying against the back wall. Walking it back out through the door, I glanced around to make sure that nobody was looking before closing and locking the door again. Riding the bike back out the front gate, I pulled off to the left. Thankfully my mother hadn't seen me getting the bike. Kisa was leaning against the fence but then pushed off it when I stopped in front of her. Sliding onto the back, she wrapped her arms around my waist. Both of us took off at full speed. I wanted to get a ways into the city before I stopped again… 

We ate lunch at our sandwich shop at about one. Somehow, though, this was still a fun day. Kisa and I just chatted happily about all sorts of subjects. It was enough just spending time with her. Just as we were finishing, I spotted Mori and Ichijo walking towards the café. Kisa and I quickly got back on the bike. Letting them talk to us today wasn't in my intentions. Mori stopped then and pointed us out to Ichijo. Kisa laughed happily and waved to them as we disappeared around the corner. That must have been amusing for them...

After lunch, we headed over to the park for a little bit. A little dangerous, yes… but if Kisa wanted ice cream, then she would get it. After I had gotten her a chocolate cone and a vanilla one for myself, we sat there on the bench eating them. When they were gone, Kisa simply slid over into me. Wrapping my left arm around her, she put her head down on my chest. We simply cuddled there for a while. As we sat, I tried to imagine what everyone else must be thinking about this. Our mothers were probably freaking out right now but knew we were at least alive.

After a few minutes of just sitting there, I saw them. Tohru walked by the main entrance being followed by Yuki and Kyo. Kisa must have seen them too because she lifted her head off my chest and looked up at me, smiling. Reading her thoughts, I started to smile too. Kisa had some really good ideas sometimes. We both hopped on the bike and headed out of the park.

Riding silently behind them, we slowly met their walking pace and followed. Tohru seemed lost in thought just then. Kyo and Yuki looked equally distracted. I felt one of Kisa's hands move off my stomach and knew she was stifling a giggle. Waiting for the hand to return to my waist, I slowly pulled up beside them. Kyo was on the outside then and after a couple of seconds, noticed us in his peripheral vision. His head whipped around and he just stared at us in shock. Tohru and Yuki noticed his movements and glanced over as well. Both of their faces quickly matched Kyo's and Kisa waved to them with her left hand. What a tease… Pulling a wheelie, I waved to them before taking off down the sidewalk. "You little BRAT!" was quickly following us. Kyo could be so loud sometimes. Both Kisa and I broke out into laughter by the time we turned the corner. Maybe if that got back to our mothers, they wouldn't be so worried.

"This is so much fun…" Kisa finally said. I laughed.

"I know. I have a desire to just leave and never come back… To travel the world right now…" I added truthfully. Kisa, sensing the sadness, hugged me tighter. "I could never pull you away from where you wanted to be, though," I told her.

"One day, Hiro. Maybe after college… We WILL travel the world. With or without Akito's permission," she told me then.

"Kisa…" I replied softly.

"I love you, Hiro," she answered, putting her head down on my shoulder.

"I love you too, Kisa…" I replied…

We returned to the hotel to get ready. Kisa noted that I was putting on my dress clothes, so she slipped her clothes off and changed into her yellow dress. I knew she had packed it! Finally zipping it up in the back, she glanced over at me. I was watching her casually from the bed. She had never taken her underwear off, so I hadn't seen a reason to look away. We WERE more comfortable with each other. Pretending to adjust my tie a little bit, I watched her put hair ribbons in. She then walked into the bathroom where all of her accessories were. I just closed my eyes for a while.

After maybe ten minutes, she came back out of the bathroom. She looked as stunning as she always does in her dresses. One day… She will be able to wear all of the dresses she wants as we attend classy parties and such. I sighed. She just smiled at me. Getting up off of the bed, I walked over to her and placed a light kiss on her lips. Her smile widened as I pulled away.

"Shall we get going?" I asked in a courtly tone.

"Of course!" she exclaimed, mimicking my tone.

Both of us looped arms as we exited the room. Walking the entire distance wasn't as bad this time. We were a lot closer to the restaurant and the evening wasn't particularly cold. The warm weather was just starting to return and it would be spring soon. An entire summer with Kisa engaged to me… Everything got brighter all of a sudden. She would have to say 'yes' first, though. After what she told me last night, though…

"You seem to be thinking a lot lately…" Kisa said. I soon realized that I had been standing in front of the door to the restaurant for a couple of seconds now.

"Yeah… I have had a lot to think about," I told her. She nodded at me.

"Wanna head inside now?" she asked. I was suddenly getting nervous again. Why not?

"Sure…" I replied and we entered the building.

It was quite crowded, just as Michael had said. Walking up to the podium, I was again greeted by the same Maitre d' as before. He nodded to me as I approached.

"Do follow me, Mr. Sohma," he requested before I could even speak. Kisa just moved closer into my left side. Still hanging onto my arm as we walked, she started looking around. There were a lot of people here tonight. Oh well. I noticed that some of the guys were starting to look up at us… no… at Kisa. Heh… Go ahead and look… no touching, though… she's already spoken for…

As we passed the kitchen area, I noticed that Michael was actually here and was sticking his head out. I nodded to him as we passed. He looked briefly over at Kisa before smiling at me and returning the nod. Everything was working out wonderfully so far. Where are the armed robbers dropping from the ceiling?

Sitting us down at one of the tables, the Maitre d' bowed to us and walked off. Kisa sat across from me and just smiled happily. I think she did enjoy these little outings. Sliding my hand across the table, I took hers with mine. She squeezed it gently. Why was I so nervous? Kisa had pretty much given me an answer already. Was I scared to go through with this? The audience certainly didn't frighten me. I was almost proud that this many people would witness it.

Kisa just kept smiling happily. Would she be ready for this? She said EVENTUALLY she would like to live with me. Maybe it would be too soon! Did she not want to get married until after college?!? I felt my temperature drop slightly and shivered. Maybe this is the 'cold feet' that everyone keeps talking about. Oh well. I WILL go through with this tonight!

"Is something wrong, Hiro? You look awfully pale." Kisa's voice came to my ears. Snapping out of my thinking, I managed to smile at her.

"I'm fine. Just lost in thought…" I said. She nodded.

"Do you have anything planned for after this?" she asked. Oops…

"I hadn't really decided yet. We could go to a movie if you wanted?" I offered. Whew…

"That sounds fun! What's playing?" she asked happily. Oh no…

"I honestly have no idea. We will have to see when we get there," I replied.

"Ok. This has been a rather nice day. The first time I have actually stayed away from home with you on purpose, I think…" she said then. It was…

"Yeah… What did you think of it?" I asked playfully. She looked back over at me smiling.

"It would be nice to never go home… but I have school… and Mother wouldn't understand…" she answered. I couldn't help myself.

"You don't have school again for another three months after tomorrow…" I commented. Kisa's eyes widened considerably! She just stared at me in shock, but it quickly melted into a smile.

"You want me to live all summer with you?" she asked. The question almost sounded serious. I just shrugged. Her eyes widened again. She thought I was kidding? Next year I would be starting my third year. Kisa would be in her fourth and final year. Would she wait for me before going to college? Doubtful, but we'll see. We should probably wait until after she's out of school to get married.

"Nah… I was just joking," I finally told her. My eyes probably said otherwise, but I quickly looked down at the table, releasing her hand.

"Well, I'm not sure how our parents would think about that, but…" she trailed off. I couldn't help but smile. Mother would be happy that I was independent enough to be on my own and delighted that Kisa was moving in with me. Kisa's mother would be sad to see her go, but if I was with her, she wouldn't worry too much. I looked back up at Kisa wearing that very special smile still. Her eyes widened and she tilted her head, questioningly. It was too funny. I started chuckling. Kisa smiled at me then.

"I'm almost scared to ask what you were just thinking about," she said then. I just kept beaming at her.

"I will tell you later," I told her truthfully.

We ordered when the waitress came up, and then it was back to waiting. Looking back down at my tea, I sipped it a little bit. Kisa stared happily out the window. Finally thinking of something to say, I turned back to Kisa.

"I'm thinking of trying for my license soon," I told her. She quickly glanced back towards me. Kisa didn't like driving. She said she wasn't any good at it and would probably cause more accidents than not with her inability to focus on everything.

"That's great, Hiro! Then you can actually drive us around instead of walking!" she exclaimed happily. I looked down at the table again. "Oh! I'm sorry…" she quickly apologized. "I don't mind walking, though."

"No… It's ok. You do deserve to be driven everywhere," I told her.

"Hiro…" she replied sadly. This usually meant that she doesn't think she deserved whatever I did or said. Now all I would have to do is get a job this summer to pay for a car. Michael has actually offered to let me work here for a tremendous amount of money. Most kids my age are lucky to find a job at ALL, but a job for $15.85 an hour! I probably would take him up on his offer.

Our food came then and interrupted my thoughts. It was quite pleasant today, but maybe it was just my mood. It took me slightly longer to finish eating and Kisa finished at almost the same time. She was just smiling happily at me from across the table. I waited for it…

"So… Any surprises for me TODAY for dessert?" she asked. Heh…

Smiling up at her, I looked into her eyes. Nothing except love and happiness was showing in them. I sighed contently. You can crawl out from under the table and distract her now, Tohru… When nothing happened after a few more seconds, I came to a conclusion. Fate might actually let me be happy today.

"I love you, Kisa," I spoke gently. Out of my peripheral vision, I noticed Michael watching us intently.

She giggled. "I love you too, Hiro," she said then. Showtime… Nervousness hit an all time high, but I kept it under control.

"Well that's good… because I haven't exactly been completely truthful in the past six months or so…" I told her then, losing my smile. I did feel bad for hiding the truth from her…

She frowned. "What do you mean, Hiro?" she asked, concerned. I smiled back up at her.

"I didn't go to Akito to ask for her permission to date you," I told her then. My mind stopped responding. There was no going back now… My heart started beating a little faster and I felt myself get tingly.

A look of confusion spread across Kisa's face. "Then why on earth did you talk to her?!?" she asked. Here we go… My body switched over to autopilot. I had practiced this for so long. My mind wasn't sending accurate signals anymore so I just let my body do its thing.

My chair slid back almost of its own volition. Standing up, I slowly started walking around the table. I could almost feel Michael's smile on my back. Every step seemed to be in slow motion. Kisa's eyes just followed me around the table to her right side. There was a look of confusion and bewilderment evident on her face. Reaching her right side, I noticed she rotated in her chair to face me. For the umpteenth time in my life, time got stuck again. Staring down into those beautiful golden eyes, I couldn't help but smile. Then I started my descent. Dropping down to one knee in front of Kisa, I looked back up at her. The look of bewilderment shifted to shock as she must have finally realized what I was doing. Reaching into my right pocket, I withdrew the black box. By this point, I was beyond nervous. Trying my hardest not to pass out would be more fitting. Extending the box up towards her, I opened it in her direction. After a half a second of it being opened, I spoke surprisingly clearly and precisely.

"Kisa, will you marry me?" I asked. The question itself sapped all of the strength out of me. All of the processes in the world seemed to grind violently to a halt… including my heart. Eternities seemed to pass before my eyes as I looked up at Kisa. Her eyes were so big and her mouth was partially open. I vaguely noted the stares from my peripheral vision. All was quiet. It was like everyone in the room had stopped talking. They probably had…

Snapping back to Kisa, I noticed that her eyes were getting watery. She was crying? This could be a good OR bad thing. Kisa sometimes cried when she was extremely happy, too. Her partially opened mouth extended into a smile then. A smile?!? My hopes started to lift but I didn't let it show in my face. The tears started to slide down her face then.

"Oh, Hiro! Of course I will marry you!" she exclaimed happily. A sunburst went off before my eyes but I just kept smiling up at her. Did she actually say what I think she said? She extended her right hand down and gently removed the ring out of the box. Moving the ring upwards, she slid it onto her left hand's ring finger. Somehow, the ring got even more beautiful. Slowly, I closed the box and returned it to my pocket. Kisa was going to marry me… My future was spread out before me all at once. She would be with me for the rest of my life… she was 'engaged' to me. Everything felt so… correct. Looking back up at her, she was admiring the ring on her finger. "It's beautiful, Hiro!" she exclaimed happily to me. Not as beautiful as you. When she looked back down at me, I noticed she was still crying. Happy tears this time. She leaned downwards toward me and placed a tender kiss on my lips. I simply cupped her cheek in my right hand. Applause broke out all around me, but I didn't care… I was too busy wiping her cheeks off.

Finally able to breathe again, I stood up and walked back to my chair. The applause finally stopped when I sat down. Kisa was beaming at me from across the table. All I could bring myself to do was gaze into her eyes. Finally she spoke.

"I'm so happy, Hiro! Did you actually get permission from Akito to marry me?!?" she asked in disbelief.

"Permission AND blessing to marry you. We CAN spend the rest of our lives together," I told her. She started crying again…

"Hiro…" she said happily. I had never heard it quite like that before.

"Oh… Sorry, but this time I didn't get a cake. There would be no way we could store it," I apologized in advance. The one time the cake would have been the most appropriate, too…

"Hiro! I don't need a cake! I have you instead…" she said happily. The tears were starting to go down her cheeks again. Hmm…

"Ack! Don't eat ME!" I exclaimed jokingly. Kisa started laughing.

Michael walked over to the table then. I nodded to him as he walked up.

"Congratulations, you two…" he spoke. I nodded to him again, still feeling a little dizzy.

"Thank you, Michael…" Kisa said. I couldn't stop smiling at her.

"Where are you off to now?" he inquired.

"We will probably see a movie before heading back to the hotel," I replied. Kisa turned red all of a sudden.

"Hmm… Well, have fun. I will more than likely see you later, then," he replied as he walked off.

My mind drifted happily for a few more minutes before glancing back over at Kisa, now my fiancée. She was STILL smiling at me.

"Can we go back to the hotel now? I want to change out of this dress before the movie," she asked. I nodded.

Sliding the chair back, I stood up and walked around the table. I slid her out and escorted her to the door. So many people were smiling at us as we passed. Kisa extended her left hand to place it on my left arm I was escorting her with. She smiled up at me. I returned the smile before sliding my eyes down to the hand. The ring looked so beautiful on it. I guess Kisa brought out the best in the ring.

We walked mostly in silence back to the hotel. I was enjoying everything, so I didn't care. Kisa looked so happy… Walking back into the hotel, we headed to our room. Once Kisa got inside, she quickly started slipping the dress off. Finally stepping out of the uncomfortable suit, I slipped on some shorts. Running low on energy, I decided to just collapse onto the bed without putting my shirt back on. My back hurt anyway and I remembered that we hadn't re-bandaged it. After a couple moments of resting, I felt the mattress move down again. Kisa? Suddenly way too much skin touched mine and I jumped. Kisa was still in her underwear? She looked sad, though. Hugging me gently, she looked back up at me.

"Does your back hurt now?" she asked, concern showing in her voice. I smiled at her and nodded slightly. "Let me see…" she said then. Releasing her, I rotated around onto my stomach. Closing my eyes, I simply relaxed as I felt her hands sliding over my back. The touch was gentle, yet very thorough. "It looks like they're irritated. We should clean them again before bed," she informed me after a few minutes of investigating.

"Ok… You're my official nurse… What are we going to need to clean them?" I asked.

"Warm water, towels, and antibacterial liquid," she said simply.

"Well, we have the towels and water. I guess we have to go get some of the antibacterial, though…" I spoke calmly, not that I was looking forward to having that stuff poured on me again.

"Actually… I don't really want to go to a movie…" she said then. What?

"Well, if you don't want to…" I replied. She shook her head.

"Actually… I think I have a lot to talk to you about," she replied, smiling. Here we go…

"What do you wish to talk about then?" I asked. Kisa's eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly.

"Not right now. First we have to get you cleaned up. Stay here and I will go get a bottle of antibacterial!" she announced. Waiting…

She got up and put on her t-shirt and shorts again. After sliding her card into her pocket, she headed for the door… I sighed.

"Money?" I ask her. She stopped in her tracks and looked over at me, slightly pink.

"Um… can I use some of yours? I don't have any with me…" she asked. She looked embarrassed, though.

"Sure. Hurry back, though. Sure you don't need an escort?" I asked her as I handed her ten dollars.

"I'll be fine, and I won't let anyone see me," she replied with a smile. I nodded and she rushed out of the room. Sighing, I lay back down on the bed. Sleep soon ambushed me and I floated away…

* * *

**Discussion**

* * *

Earthquake? Not quite… Kisa… My eyes opened to find Kisa shaking my shoulder. How long had I been out? My back hurt a little bit and my right arm was starting to throb. 

"Hey, Hiro. I'm back with medical supplies. I got the antibacterial and I decided to pick up a cold pack, too. Your right arm has to be sore by now," Kisa said once I had woken up fully.

Sitting up, I glanced over at the smiling girl sitting on the bed. Kisa was holding a large plastic bag. "That's excellent, Kisa. When do you want to wash it?" I asked.

"Right now would be perfect," she spoke. I sighed and headed into the bathroom. Kisa followed after me.

This time I was smart and lay down in the bathtub. Kisa got the idea and crawled in, sitting on me. She set the bag down on the rim of the tub and dug the bottle of antibacterial out. After wetting a towel with it, she started cleaning the wounds. They didn't hurt nearly as much this time. I just lay there relaxing while Kisa worked on my back. Pretending it was a massage helped, too. She just used the bathtub faucet to wet the towel with warm water and started to wash out the antibacterial. After drying, she re-bandaged each of the wounds.

I rotated around under her and looked up at her. She started to smile at me. Leaning upwards, I moved into a sitting position and pushed her into my lap. By now she was looking kind of confused, but then I started taking the bandage off her elbow. Relaxing then, she went completely passive and let me clean both wounds. After I had applied more bandages onto them, she leaned forward and kissed my cheek. Standing, I pulled us both out of the bathtub.

We walked back out into the main room and lay down on the bed. Turning on my side to face her, I saw that she did the same. "You had things you wanted to talk about?" I asked her. She nodded happily then. I wanted to clear up all of the questions she had right now.

"I had some issues I would like to discuss with you…" she started.

We talked till almost eleven thirty. There was a VERY wide range of things discussed. The first was whether or not I would allow her to go to college. There was no way that I would stop her from going if she wanted to and that seemed to make her happy. She also asked me when I thought we should actually get married. After explaining my earlier thoughts about waiting until she graduated high school, she agreed with me. Her mother seems to want her to not go to college and raise a family at home instead, though. I had thought so and reassured her that she can go to college. Waiting to have a family was no problem for me. Kisa agreed, but stated that she did want one in the future. I did too, but it could wait until after I graduate college and had a stable lifestyle for us. After that, it spanned on to whether or not she should wait a year to go to college for me. It was entirely up to her, though, and I didn't mind either way. My only concerns were expressed when I told her about all of the other guys that would be there. Not that I thought she would cheat on me but seeing the problems she had in high school with obsessed guys… She, of course, instantly reinforced the fact that she would never cheat on me and said that it might be wise to wait a year or train a lot more in martial arts. I said that I would assist her in either.

By the time that the training portion of the conversation was over, it was getting rather close to midnight, so I thought it might be a good idea if we got to bed.

"We do have finals in the morning, so we might want to get some sleep now," I finally said. Kisa was still smiling at me. I had relieved all of her concerns and then some.

"Well, I guess we can go to bed… if you want, anyway," she spoke after a couple moments of deliberation.

"I don't see anything else to discuss, and we have nothing better to do… We also have finals tomorrow and I would like to get SOME sleep before them if I could," I explained. Kisa nodded.

"Very well…" she agreed.

Watching her go into the bathroom, I started thinking again. What would Mother say now? I return home with Kisa engaged to me after I disappeared during the process of falling off an eighty story building. It sounds completely unbelievable. Kisa came back then and lay down, so I guessed it was my turn.

I stood up and walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth. It had been such a tiring day. I had finally asked her, though… And she had said yes! Happiness was an understatement. After I finished brushing my teeth, I used the bathroom once more before wandering back out into the main room. The only light on now was the one above the bed. Kisa was on the outside near the light so I walked along the wall and lay down as well. Stopping mid-way, I noticed that Kisa had removed her t-shirt and shorts…

"If you get to sleep in your boxers, I can sleep in my underwear. I'm used to sleeping without clothes, too," she explained after she noticed me staring. This would be an… interesting attempt. Oh well… I just shrugged and lay down. Kisa turned off the light then and I was plunged into darkness.

After a couple of seconds, Kisa cuddled into me like usual. About the only difference was that I could feel a lot more skin. I tried not to think about it. Kisa leaned forward slightly and kissed me on the lips. I thought about it…

"You seem… tense," Kisa said after a while.

"Sorry… Just not used to this, that's all," I replied. Kisa giggled.

After a few minutes, I was able to distract my mind with other things and actually managed to fall asleep…

* * *

**Finals**

* * *

The alarm was going off. Both of us opened our eyes at the same time. Light was still absent from the room and I felt like going back to sleep… Finals flooded into my mind, though, and I quickly got out of bed. 

"We only have an hour to get ready and be at school," I told Kisa. She nodded and slowly started getting dressed. We moved rather slowly, but we were sleepy still… It only took us about a half an hour to get everything together, munch on a light snack, and leave.

Walking in silence, we both entered the school grounds. Kisa just walked slowly along with me to my left. "Do you think the news has gotten around yet?" I asked.

"I don't know. It would be kind of bad if it did," she replied.

"Not if it's just a rumor," I answered. Kisa nodded.

Thankfully, we weren't bugged on our way up to the school. The first class I stopped by was my last one, actually. All I had to do was drop off the written paper. Kisa followed me all the way to the third floor and back down. Finally, I dropped her off at her classroom before I went to my first class. She didn't have a class with any Sohmas until her last class. Sadly, I had Haru in my third class: math. Making sure I came in with a large crowd of people, I managed to blend in fairly well and sit across the room from where I usually do. Haru, being his usual spacey self, didn't see me when he walked in and sat down next to the empty desk that is my usual seat. After that class was over, I left quickly in an equally large group of people and met Kisa in the halls of the third floor. We ate in the lunchroom this time, knowing that none of the Sohmas eat there. Yoko must not have been here today because I was almost certain that he would have seen me.

After lunch I had only three more classes. Kisa had four more, sadly, and the fourth one had Haru AND Momiji in it. There would be no way she could get through the entire class without them seeing her, so we took a new approach. It was the last class of the day AND on the first floor. She could outrun both Momiji and Haru over short distances, so I would be waiting with my bike outside. I had noted a slightly odd behavior, though. Knowing where all of her classes were, I walked over to them after each of mine. She was just waiting for me to get there and escort her to the next class.

Finally, her fourth class came. I was already done with my second year by then, so I took pride in being in the same grade as her… if only for an hour. Walking her towards her next class, we stopped outside the door.

"Now you will be waiting outside the main entrance, right?" she asked once more. I nodded.

"You can easily outrun them, but make sure to finish the test before they do…" I added. She nodded.

Watching her walk through that doorway was rather amusing. Her strides had changed considerably. She walked with certain… boldness that she never had in middle school. I only wish I could see their faces when she walked in… Walking down the hallway, I decide to go outside and wait in the sun for her…

* * *

**Final Class**

* * *

I sat there doodling on my notepad. Ever since the accident on Saturday, I had been slightly depressed. Hatsuharu and I hadn't heard a single thing from Tohru or the others. We knew that Kisa and Hiro were still alive somewhere, but they didn't seem to be in a hurry to show themselves. It was just a shame that they didn't complete finals. That might cost them in the future. 

Glancing to my right at Haru, I noticed that he was just staring blankly at the empty desk in front of him. Kisa would have sat there if she was here today. Sighing slightly, I realized how much I missed her cheerful aura. Ever since middle school, Hiro had done a number on her and her confidence had increased dramatically. She was almost always happy. The only problem is, using just our class and study hours, I'm pretty sure that I have seen more of her than Hiro has in the last half year of school. Somehow, that's just not right…

The class began. I let out my second sigh. Normally, she would walk right through that door, smiling happily, and walk back to take her seat with us. I could almost picture her white t-shirt and light yellow shorts as she stepped through the door. Her hair would have the ribbons in it that would make her look so innocent and happy.

"Sorry I'm late…" My daydream said. Wait a second…

"It's ok, Kisa. Just take your seat. Here is a test," I heard the teacher respond. The teacher handed my daydream a test. Kisa was actually here! Glancing quickly over at Haru, I saw he was staring up at her wide eyed, too.

Kisa simply walked back to where we were, smiled at both of us, and took her seat. I thought Haru's eyes were going to burn a hole in the back of her head! She just started writing… rather rapidly. Wait… If she got done before us… My pencil started rapidly writing as well. Haru seemed to come up with my thoughts as well because he quickly mimicked me.

It only took us a half an hour to finish. Kisa was just standing up as I signed my name on the paper. It probably looked horribly suspicious, but I didn't care. Kisa walked towards the front of the room with her paper. Haru and I rapidly followed only a few steps behind her. The teacher nodded to her when she handed the paper over. Haru and I quickly handed in our papers as well and followed her out the door.

Once we got outside the classroom, we both looked right. Kisa was casually walking towards the main entrance! Haru walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She slowly turned around and smiled at us. Haru looked shocked and speechless, so I took over.

"Where have you been the last two days…?" I asked in disbelief.

"With Hiro…" she answered calmly.

"When are you two going to return home?" I asked. She just shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe never…" she replied with a giggle. My eyes widened. Never? Wait a second…

Glancing quickly down, I noticed she still had both hands in the pockets of her shorts. Seeing me looking, she gave me a raised eyebrow. I simply returned it and she giggled again. Then she slowly withdrew her hands out of her pockets. Both Haru and I were focused on her left hand as she raised it. There was a beautiful silver ring on the ring finger. A single, large diamond was placed in the center of the ring. He asked her?!? She said yes?!? She then rotated her hand around so the palm was facing us. Pulling off a little wave, she was gone down the hallway in a heartbeat. Haru and I took after her almost in the same instant! Since when had Kisa been so fast?!? Since Hiro started training her… I answered myself in the next thought. Skidding on the waxed floor of the hallway, she turned sharply and sprinted out of the building. Haru and I followed suit and exited the building, following her. Then she did something unexpected. She leapt the entire flight of stairs! Descending down them she landed, almost lightly, on the back of a bike.

Driving this bike was Hiro! He was glancing up at us smiling. Wearing mostly black and gray, he had on a pair of jean shorts, light gray t-shirt, and jean jacket. His hands had fingerless black gloves on them with plates on the top. He reminded me so much of a wild punk off the streets! It was quite a sight, actually. This 'wild punk' had the ever adorably cute Kisa sitting directly behind him in light yellow, with her arms wrapped around his waist. Then it finally sank in. They were engaged. Kisa was actually happy to ride on the back of the bike because he was her fiancé. Hiro gave us one of his two fingered waves before they shot off across the lawn of the school. We gave up chasing them…

"Wow…" Haru said then.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," I replied…

* * *

**Meetings**

* * *

We went to the park afterwards to get a celebration crepe. I had already finished mine, but Kisa was as slow as usual. It was a beautiful day, though, and I didn't mind. After more consideration, I probably wouldn't mind if it was in the middle of a hurricane, as long as Kisa was enjoying herself. 

"Hiro?" Kisa spoke after swallowing the last bite of the crepe.

Glancing over at her I responded, "Yes, Kisa?"

"Did you actually mean what you said yesterday? You know, about moving out on your own?" she asked me. I was a little surprised by her curiosity.

"I've actually been thinking about it for a while. I guess it's not that uncommon of a thing to do, anyway. After talking to Mother about it, she thinks it will be a great experience and reminded me that I could always come home if need be," I explained.

"What will you do, get an apartment?" Kisa asked next.

"Probably. I already have a really nice job lined up for this summer, so I will easily be able to pay for it and keep saving," I explained. Kisa seemed lost in thought for a little while.

Leaning back on the bench slightly, I casually watched a caterpillar crawl through the dirt near my feet. After a few minutes, Kisa spoke up again.

"Would it help if I got a job this summer, too?" she asked then. Help with what?

"Help? What do you mean?" I asked, slightly confused.

"To pay for the apartment and to go into savings…" she explained. What?

"What do you mean? Why are you helping me pay for my apartment?" I asked.

"Um… I had wanted to live there with you…" she explained. Oh…

"Oh! Well I didn't know if you had wanted to live with me or not… You should probably ask your mother about this first," I added.

"Why bother? I haven't asked her about anything else that we have been doing lately…" Kisa replied.

"That's very unlike you to say…"

"Really?"

"What brought all of this on, by the way?" I asked then, finally curious.

"Oh… just a silly notion. I had this romantic idea in my head of just running away with you… and never coming back," she explained. I couldn't have hid the shock on my face… It was a complete change from how she usually acts! I was used to her switching back to being my best friend. Now she was talking about leaving behind all of her friends, her life, her schooling, and just running away with ME!

"I'm sure that your mother would miss you dearly," I replied. Kisa nodded. I decided to continue, "In fact… maybe it would be best if I did get you home." Kisa looked up at me with a stunned face.

"Really?!?" she asked. I simply nodded, so she frowned. "I'm still not leaving you… So if you aren't going to stay there, then neither am I," she added.

"Very well… I should probably pay a visit to my mother, too," I explained. Kisa nodded happily.

We stood up off the bench then. With a slight stretch, I yawned and glanced over at my bike again. My mother had laughed so hard at me. The second I had gotten the new bike I immediately took it out into the garage and attached the second seat. If I was going to have a new bike, Kisa should be able to ride it with me. This one is a mountain bike because of its tires. It has twelve different speeds and front and rear brakes. Frequently maintained, it's in excellent shape for being almost two years old. The water bottle attachments were custom, though, and it can hold two of them for Kisa and I. I should probably fill up the tires again, though. Just as we both got on the bike, we heard someone calling.

"Kisa! Hiro!" I heard from the left. Both of us turned, still on the bike, and looked over at the source of the noise.

Mori, Inoue, Yoko, and Ichijo came running up from the park entrance. They looked rather happy to see us and again I wondered about rumors.

"Hey you two, where on earth have you been?!?" Inoue asked excitedly upon reaching us.

"Really! You're parents wont tell us anything, but they looked really sad when we dropped in. Even THEY didn't know where you were, it would seem," Mori continued.

Kisa started laughing. "We had a little… misunderstanding and had to sort things out on our own…" she finally explained.

"Misunderstanding?!? Rumor has it that both of you had an accident!" Yoko replied.

"How bad was it?" Ichijo asked before we could reply. Kisa and I just looked at each other.

"Fairly bad, but we're ok now…" I answered. Kisa looked at me with a grin.

"We're far better than ok, silly…" she added playfully. Mori raised an eyebrow as Kisa wrapped her arms around my waist affectionately. I just smiled at her for lack of anything else I could do.

"Do we really WANT to know?" Ichijo asked hesitantly. He backed up a step when I glared at him. Mori just giggled and pulled him back up to her side.

It was too late to stop Kisa by the time I had noticed what she was doing. Sliding her left arm away from my stomach, she placed her hand on my shoulder instead. The silver sparkled in the sunlight and instantly drew all of their attention to it. Inoue just widened her eyes tremendously. Yoko had a huge grin on his face. Mori started laughing along with Ichijo.

"You're ENGAGED now!?!" Mori asked in disbelief. Kisa just wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek.

"Whoa! When is the wedding going to be?!?" Yoko asked.

"We will probably wait until Kisa gets out of High School before getting married," I informed them.

"Well, that's a good idea, but I know a LOT of fans that aren't going to be happy about this," Inoue stated with a slight laugh.

"They are psychotic stalkers, not fans. They never deserved to be gawking at Kisa anyway," I added with dripping venom.

"Kisa isn't the only one that has fans, you know…" Mori informed me. What?!?

My confused look must have been rather visible on my face because Ichijo spoke up. "Yeah. Your fan club has loads of rabid fan girls in it. It's kind of scary sometimes, actually," he added.

"Really?" I asked in genuine disbelief. Kisa nodded?!?

"Yeah… They had concerned me for a while because they were behaving like Yuki's fan club used to. You didn't notice them, Hiro?" Kisa asked. I just shook my head. Kisa giggled.

"I guess I was too busy with just Kisa to notice them. They really didn't stand a chance in the world competing against you though, Kisa," I explained to her. She just nodded happily.

"I just can't believe you didn't notice… Hadn't you ever asked a girl to do any random favor for you?" Inoue asked. I thought about it for a little bit. Not very often.

"Not that often, really. They would just…" I started to reply before Mori interrupted me.

"Rush off as fast as humanly possible to do whatever you asked?" Mori asked me. Wow…

"Um… actually, yes…" I added. Everyone laughed. I didn't know that I had a fan club like Yuki's… Oddly, I wondered how many of Yuki's members had just converted.

"Well, we should probably get going now, Kisa," I commented. Kisa nodded and slipped her hands around my waist again.

"We will see you two later then!" Inoue shouted as we rode off…

* * *

**Chapter 16 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes:

There. It finally happened. I thought it was cute, anyway. Things should be getting somewhat back to normal for a few chapters now... but only a few! -shifty eyes- The supernatural is about to enter fairly rapidly however so just a heads up for some. I might toss in a little side story that I had been thinking about, though. Yeah... that might be fun. We'll see in the next couple chapters, then. -smiles-

Before I forget, happy Easter everyone. And a special greeting goes out to Havoc. Happy Birthday! -grins- I told you I'd get it out by your birthday, didn't I? Hehe! Hope you enjoyed.

Spreading the love of Hiro and Kisa,

Angsty Tiger

**Individual Review Responses:**

**lightningstrxu:** Heh... you're probably right. I most certainly wouldn't want to fall off a building anytime soon, even if I could pull off amazing moves like that without dislocating my arm. This was a slightly more normal chapter, but still rather cute if you ask me. Thank you again for the review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much! As a side note, you always seem to be one of the first to review after I post a story. -claps- You're good...

**rbzodiac612:** Yeah, I was kinda wondering if you had been hit by a giant fireball or went on vacation or something without telling me. -blinks- I'm glad you didn't get TOO sad over the entire chapter. Heh. Wouldn't want you fainting though... but thank you for the compliment! I'm going to try my hand at a book, methinks. It's almost ready now... I hope you liked this chapter too, however.

**Renia The Weirdo:** Gah! Yes, I'm slow... but at least I make sure that most of the grammar and spelling errors are caught and mercilessly destroyed before it reaches this final stage. -sigh- I'm also working on another writing, three programming assignments, a videogame, and my usual D&D sessions... so be nice. -blinks- I's glad you liked the chapters though and hope you like this one just as much... and remember whether you reviewed or not this time. -sticks out tongue-

**Duel Soul:** Yeah... you should be seeing a bit of an alteration in both Hiro AND Kisa in the future. And if something as traumatic as that happened to you, you'd probably learn something as well... -winks- Hiro isn't doing so hot, as you'll see in next chapter, but I think that their relationship is now better overall... I was attempting to keep the POV switches from becoming TOO frantic so I was sticking to characters with easily identifiable mindsets. That way I didn't have to SAY who I switched to but the readers would be able to guess within a matter of a paragraph or so... and... AH! My cookies! -sad- How could you...? -shovels in the rest of them before they disappear too- Well... -burps- Excuse me... I do hope you liked this chapter JUST as much if not more! Thank you again for the review!

**egocentric-theorem:** Oooh! I love pastries. -grins- This one wasn't AS fast... but I think it is a slight bit more happy, anyway. And yes, my story has arcs. I organize everything... just part of who I am. So this would be the ending of the third arc technically. I think I randomly called it Falling, not to be ironic or anything. -blinks- More off the constant falling into what Hiro perceived as darkness and... whoa! I'm getting way too philosophical now. Moving on... heh. Up next is the Dark Prince arc... so I hope you enjoy. Minor filler before that, though. -grins- I promise that it won't be as long as Naruto's. Heh. Thank you for reviewing and I hoped you liked this chapter too!

**Anonymous:** Heh... it wasn't originally planned that way but, if you stretch the definition a little, I suppose you could say they kinda did. Just engaged instead of married... and he technically already got consent from the parents... I'll let them get older before they actually get married. So it might be a ways off, yet. Heh. I can see how you came to that conclusion, though. As always, thank you for reviewing and I hope you like this chapter too! -smiles-

**Princess Lady Subaru:** Heh... that was my intent. -grins- That would have sucked to be killed off like that however and would forever mark me for creating such angst. I might be assassinated... so I decided not to end it like that. Heh. Choco... pie...? Um... Is this safe for me to EAT? Wait... you can cook?!? -averts eyes- Um... anyway... thank you for reviewing yet again and I hoped you liked this chapter just as much if not more! Now go to bed... -chuckles-

**ronandhermy:** Yay! A new reviewer! I'm happy you liked my story so much. Yes, I do the first person POV specifically for that reason. I like to show what the characters are thinking but keep people guessing as to what the OTHER characters think. If that makes sense... and... um... three copies?!? -swirly eyes- Wow... uh... thanks. -blushes- Couldn't you use the travel one for school too, though? Just a thought to save money... -chuckles- Heh... okay... I'm Kisa and you can be Hiro. -blinks- Kinda reversed and creepy... so I'll just drop that. Yes, longer reviews tend to make me think people like the story more so I usually get the next chapter out faster to make people even more happy... if possible... -blinks and pants- I like making people happy, in case you couldn't tell. -sticks out tongue- Ten pages might be kinda hard to reply to however... Thank you for becoming so addicted however and I hope you liked this, much cuter, chapter even more!

**wreakhavoc:** Happy Birthday again. I hope you can actually catch up fast enough to READ this part though. -laughs- Well I thank you for your compliments and support. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!


	17. Apartment

* * *

Okay... this chapter has been re-posted. It seems Julia-chan, my editor, was bored and had more time than I estimated originally. Thank you, Julia-chan! Anyway, there have been corrections made to quite a few mistakes along with a minor sentence structure correction, so this should be a slightly better read now. I'm now off to mourn my passing nineteen year old kitty, so until next time. I'll answer the reviews in my next post. They may tend towards negativity if I attempt to answer them now. Sorry. I'll try to be expedient with the next posting. Talk to everyone later.

-A.T.

* * *

**Chapter 17 – Apartment**

* * *

Yeah, dread would probably be the best way to describe it. Standing in the walkway of Kisa's house, we had stopped near the gate. Kisa's mother was out gardening and had her back turned to us. Hopefully, this would go rather smoothly. Whose house should I stay at tonight? If Kisa was just going to follow me everywhere, then either my mother wouldn't get me tonight or her mother wouldn't get her… 

We walked up behind her mother and both of us sat down behind her. Looking over at Kisa, I noticed that she looked a little worried. I tried to put on my warmest smile, but it didn't work as well as I'd hoped...

"Um… Mother?" Kisa spoke hesitantly. Kisa's mother jerked her head up and spun around quickly.

"Kisa?!?" she exclaimed, wearing a look of shock. Kisa just smiled at her.

Moving with almost inhuman speed, Kisa's mother was suddenly hugging her. All I could do was smile and watch... if not worry for Kisa's ability to breathe.

"What happened to you two?!? Where have you been?!?" Kisa's mother asked sternly.

"We might want to call everyone here so we only have to repeat the story once," I mentioned mildly. She seemed to have just noticed me at that point.

"Hiro! Well… that does sound like a good idea… I don't know if I can wait that long, though!" she joked.

"I'm not going to vanish, Mother…" Kisa replied.

"Yet…" I added with a slightly sly and amused undertone. Kisa's mother looked over at me with a look of confusion on her face. Kisa caught on and started blushing a little. I just kept smiling.

After a couple of seconds, Kisa's mother widened her eyes. She must have finally figured out what I was talking about. Quickly glancing over at Kisa, she sought out her left hand. Kisa moved her right hand off of it. The diamond ring, when introduced to the sun, glittered in an unearthly way. Kisa wearing it simply made it all the more beautiful... She just kept smiling. Her mother's arms were around her in an instant.

"Oh, Kisa… My little girl is getting married!" she exclaimed happily. I could hear her starting to cry. Kisa just looked over at me with a "help me" expression. I handed Kisa a tissue absently and she laughed. For some reason I just couldn't stop smiling. It was nice to not have everyone worried about her anymore… but now comes the hard part.

"Hey, Mom? Can I use your phone to call… um… my mother…?" I asked then. That sounded... odd… Kisa laughed again. Her mother just nodded and turned back to Kisa. Leaving the two ladies in the yard to talk, I wandered into the house and over to the phone. Hesitating above the phone for a couple of seconds, I finally picked it up. Dialing my own number, I heard my mother say hello. I paused…

"Um… who is this?" she asked after a few seconds… No point in stalling any longer. This... wasn't going to be easy either way.

"Hey, Mom…" I said quietly.

"Hiro! Where are you?!?" she asked quickly, instantly concerned. I suddenly felt guilty...

"I'm at Kisa's right now. I'll be inviting everyone here, so can you come too?" I asked.

"What happened at the skyscraper? Where did you two go?!?" she asked, pretty much ignoring my request. Figures... she can be such a ditz sometimes...

"I will explain everything when everyone gets here. Kisa and I had a few things to… work out and we took a vacation. Please, just come over and I will explain," I tried to tell her.

"Well… ok! I will hurry there as fast as I can… One more thing before I go though," she replied.

"What is it, Mother?" I asked politely.

"Did you finally ask her during your lengthy vacation?" she asked.

"Well, you had better get over here quickly to find out…" I replied, teasing.

"Hiro!" she started to say. I hung the phone up before she could lecture me anymore... Well... at least she isn't worrying now...

Kisa, at least, had it easy. She had been the sane one there. I was the catalyst of all of this fuss anyway. I wonder… what Kisa would be like without ME here… Either she would be completely mute by now, or completely better. Depends on how quickly she would have met Tohru, I guess. It's almost impossible to calculate, however, as we all affect each other in some minute way. Well, I would be hit the hardest anyway, so Kisa should be spared. She had the fact that she was the sane one AND she's now engaged, even if she has a rather crazy fiancé… Laughing then, I picked up the receiver again and dialed Shigure's. Mother probably didn't bother to alert anyone else, so I might as well.

By the time I was done chatting with Shigure (he can be rather well mannered when he's serious), I heard rapid footsteps enter the dining room where I was. Knowing who it was already, I turned around casually. Mother rushed into the room being followed by a very frantic Kisa.

"There you are! Ok! Spill it! What happened and where have you been for the last TWO days?!? You had me so worried! Couldn't you have at least called?!?" she started, almost tripping over the rug as she rushed in...

"Mother! Please stop it! Hiro will tell everyone once they get here. We don't need to repeat the entire story over and over again…" Kisa pleaded. My mother could be rather dense when she was upset, however, and ignored most of what Kisa had said. Wait... scratch that. She was dense MOST of the time... but hey, I loved her still...

"It's not your fault now, dear, so don't you worry," she replied, calmly pushing Kisa back slightly.

"Actually it's kind of ALL my fault, but…" Kisa started to explain. Mother's eyes had gotten rather big, though, and she must have finally realized what Kisa had called her a couple of moments ago.

"What? Did you just call me…? Wait… Why is it your fault?!? I don't…" Mother started stuttering. This was probably a little overwhelming for her…

"Mother. Let's just have a seat in the other room and wait for everyone else to arrive so I don't have to repeat myself," I calmly recommended. She nodded slowly and I walked her into the other room.

Sitting her down on the end of the couch, she was joined by Kisa's mother who tried to calm her down a little bit. I suddenly felt low on energy again and walked over to one of the over-stuffed sofas. Sinking into it was a rather pleasant feeling. I figured this was going to be draining, but it was even harder than I had imagined. What I didn't expect was for Kisa to sit down on my lap… Letting out a slight sigh, she pretty much collapsed into me. Casually wrapping my arms around her stomach, I rested my head on her shoulder. She just smiled at me and nuzzled my cheek with hers.

We were still in the chair when the rest of the Sohmas started arriving. Shigure's house arrived first, featuring Tohru, Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki. The main house was next to arrive with Hatori, Ayame, Momiji, Hatsuhara, Kagura, and… Rin?!? Haru had told me that Akito had allowed him and Rin to openly date, but I didn't think that he could pull her out of the main house that easily. Rin was kind of a sister figure to me… much like an inverse of Kisa and Haru. Usually she is silent, but she can be quite nasty when she opens her mouth. She has every reason in the world to be nasty, though. Her parents abandoned her, she was forced to break connections with Haru by Akito's will, and then she was pummeled by her and shoved out a third story window. I had witnessed the "accident" but had remained silent about it. Haru was really concerned about her and she snuck out of the hospital a lot with him whenever she got sick again. They had a bit of a rough spot after the window incident... but I'm not sure about all the details either. I agree fully with them, however, as I'd probably sneak in to visit Kisa, if the same were to happen. Um... rumor has it that they're a little further along than Kisa and I, though...

Once everyone was settled into the living room comfortably, Kisa and I began our tale. We took turns telling about everything that happened, but left out a couple… relatively unimportant details, of course. Everyone was happy that we were engaged, though, and I was really happy that Kisa was sitting in my lap. That was probably about the only thing that prevented my mother from rushing me and reducing me to a sheep when we got to the restaurant part... She tended to overreact quite often. Maybe that's where Kisa gets it?

After our story was completed, the idle talk began…

"Why couldn't you have at least called me?" Mother asked first.

"I couldn't possibly have faced everyone after what had happened…" I said, looking away from her slightly. She had to ask?

"Yeah… We might have admitted you to a psych. ward right away!" Momiji joked. Surprisingly, he was hit with five pillows almost simultaneously. Me, Kisa, Haru, Kyo, and Yuki decided to pelt him at the same time. He curled into a little ball in his chair and everyone laughed. I felt better, anyway… slightly.

"I wouldn't have been upset with you, Dear," Mother said then.

Ignoring Kisa's whispered "told you," I replied, "Thanks, Mom…"

"Especially if you had told me you were going to marry Kisa!" she added. Everyone laughed as I sighed...

"What did you mean earlier when you said that Kisa wouldn't disappear… yet…?" Kisa's mother asked suddenly.

"Hiro is thinking of moving into an apartment this summer and I want to live with him," Kisa explained. Kisa's mother widened her eyes considerably. My mother absolutely beamed at me, however. Predictable...

"Oh! That is really convenient when you…" Momiji started to say before everyone glared at him again. After that, he curled into a little shaking ball again. I mentally laughed, of course...

"Well I feel that it is an EXCELLENT idea!" Ayame pronounced in a rather loud voice. Ayame is Yuki's older brother. They couldn't be much more different, though. Yuki is quiet, reserved, and generally watches what he says in front of people… Ayame however… "A young man needs to spread his wings and grow up with the speed in which he feels is right. Moving out on your own is a big step in learning your place in the…" he continued. I rolled my eyes and leaned into Kisa more, bringing out a giggle. Yuki looked furious. They didn't get along very well but Ayame really did want to get to know his brother more. Yuki tried his best to understand Ayame but it wasn't working the greatest so far… "…and furthermore, having a young woman there with you is an excellent idea! Not only can she make meals and help clean, but it also gives you excellent practice for when you two actually own a…" he droned on. Kyo looked like he would be falling asleep soon, which delighted Kagura as he slumped over against her shoulder. Hatori was just shaking his head by now and Shigure was probably the only one that was actually paying attention to what Ayame said. "…and it's also rather nice when you have all of that privacy to do whatever…"

"Will you just stop talking?!?" Yuki shouted. Ayame just blinked in shock at him a few times before continuing.

"You might be wise to heed some of these wonderful pearls of wisdom that I have given so freely! You may one day move into your own place too, probably with that wonderful girl to your right…" he started. Yuki just kind of tipped backwards into the couch again. Tohru, the "wonderful girl" on his right started blushing furiously. Kyo must be almost out of it if he didn't hear all of that… Kagura had wrapped her arm around Kyo, who appeared to be almost asleep. "…so you see? Hiro is already so far ahead of you emotionally that you will have to start looking up to HIM soon! He already has a beautiful girl sitting on his lap! Tohru! You should sit on Yuki's lap!" he continued. Oh yeah… excellent idea. She sits on his lap… poof, he's a mouse, she crushes him… "…and furthermore you should finally ask her out too. You two would look very nice as a couple! Not as nice as her and I, of course, but that's almost an impossible standard to reach without…" he added, animatedly waving his arms about as he talked. I wondered idly how Ayame expected to somehow get closer to Yuki and still hit on Yuki's love interest… Oh well… Tohru was almost unconscious from blood rushing to her face by now, Kyo was fast asleep on a soon to join him Kagura, I had slipped my hand up Kisa's shirt and was absently tickling her bellybutton, Kisa was giggling slightly from my finger's attention, and Yuki looked like he wanted to die. Haru was just sitting there next to a very quiet Rin, and Momiji was silently laughing and pointing at Yuki. "…and I have an excellent dress that Tohru could try on if you would just get her to the shop again. Speaking of which… Kisa? Feel free to come to me for all of your clothing needs for the wedding! I will offer you massive amounts of discounts and deals that will make you want to…" he continued. Finally… some useful information spewing out of his mouth, I thought. Glancing over at Hatori, I gave him a pleading look. He just nodded and turned to Ayame.

"Ayame? Sit down and be quiet…" he spoke softly. Ayame somehow managed to hear him though all of the blathering coming out of his mouth. He instantly stopped talking and sat back down quietly in his chair. Hatori was probably the only person in the world that could have done that to the same effect. Ayame actually looked up to Hatori. He didn't say why but only said that Hatori had something that he didn't…

Glancing back over to the right, I did something I never thought I would ever do! I actually got Momiji's attention… purposely. He gave me an odd look until I pointed over to the couch. After glancing over to the couch, he noticed what I was pointing at and gleefully raised his camera. Kyo had fallen asleep against Kagura and they were cuddling on the couch! Momiji took two pictures of them before giving me the thumbs up. Paybacks can be nasty, Kyo…

After everyone broke up into groups again, I simply slid backwards into the chair more. I felt like going to sleep right here. Kisa leaned back with me even though I had let go of her stomach.

"Tired, Hiro?" she asked softly. I nodded. There was so much left to do in the day and so many decisions to make, too! I couldn't go to sleep yet…

"We left our things at the hotel still. When are we going back to get them?" she asked then.

"Probably as soon as my mother won't attack me when I try to leave…" I commented sarcastically. Kisa laughed then. "Maybe you should stay here while I go and get the things," I recommended.

"No… I told you once already. I'm not going to leave your side," Kisa replied.

"I thought that only applied to while we were on vacation…" I commented.

"Nope… It's withstanding forever now," she answered. WHAT?!?

"What? You're going to have to leave my presence sometime, Kisa," I told her.

"Not unless I absolutely have to…" she replied. I give up… Girls were so stubborn sometimes.

"Then I suggest we sneak out right now."

"Mmm… Ok…" she replied lazily yet with certain happiness.

Both of us feigned going upstairs then. After we got into Kisa's room we went off the balcony instead. It was only a ten foot drop and both of us could easily handle that. Rushing around to the front yard, we got on the bike. Momiji was just walking past the window then and stopped to look out. His eyes widened considerably and I could almost hear his laughter from where we were. Soon Mother rushed out of the house, but Kisa and I were already gone down the road…

* * *

**Decisions**

* * *

After gathering our things in the room, I managed to load all of it onto the sides of the bike. It would be rather difficult but the fastest way to get it to wherever I was going to be tonight. Predicting the Battle of the Mothers when we get back, I started to dread returning. Kisa exited the building then with the last bag. Looking at the overloaded bike, she just sighed. 

"Maybe we should just walk… My house isn't that far from here," she recommended. I couldn't agree more, wanting to preserve my bike tires and all…

"Ok… We had best get going then," I replied.

It only took us almost an hour to get there! Walking the bike with all of those bags on it was rather hard work at times, especially uphill. My right arm was starting to throb so I switched to my left. Kisa saw this and rushed up to the other handlebar to help me push.

"Thanks," I spoke to her then.

"No problem. Is your right arm bothering you again?" she asked.

"Yeah… Of course, who knows how many muscles I had to use when grabbing that pole. It certainly felt like my arm had separated from my body…" I explained. Kisa nodded.

"We should probably have it looked at, though. I have an appointment with Hatori on Wednesday so you could come with me if you want?" she offered.

"Why do you have an appointment with Hatori?" I asked curiously.

"Oh… it's just something my mother set up. It's just a checkup really, don't worry," Kisa informed. Odd…

"Well, I'll think about it. I'm just surprised that Hatori didn't try to look at both of us already tonight!" I exclaimed jokingly. Kisa laughed.

By the time we were done talking, we had arrived in Kisa's driveway again. It was getting dark out now and after closer examination of my watch, I noted that it was almost ten… Kisa's mother was looking out the window when we arrived and quickly rushed out to greet us.

"You could have just TOLD me that you were going to get your clothes!" she shouted. Kisa started to talk with her so I walked past. Checking the garage door, I noted that it was unlocked. After stashing my bike up against the back wall, I proceeded to unload it. I carried both of our bags on each shoulder and still managed to sling my laptop bag around my neck. My right shoulder was really starting to hurt, though. After walking inside, I put the bags down in the entry hall. Hatori, Momiji, Kagura, Haru, and Rin must still be here. Their shoes hadn't left the respective spots yet so I wandered inside to locate them. Haru and Rin were in the living room. They seemed awfully busy cuddling on the couch so I let them be for the moment. Hatori came from the back then with Kagura and Momiji trailing. Kagura was looking at pictures that Momiji was showing her. I could only assume that it was the couch scene. Hatori glanced over at me then. Maybe I should just get this over with right now?

"Hey Hatori? Do you think you could take a look at me really quickly?" I asked him then.

"Um… I don't see why not. Is there any part of you in particular you want me to look at?" he asked. Nodding, I walked over and sat down at the table, sliding the sleeve of my right arm up.

Hatori walked over and started feeling up and down the arm gently. "Does it hurt you?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's a dull throb. This is the arm that I caught the pole with," I explained. Momiji and Kagura were just watching intently.

"Hmm… It's definitely not broken. You would be complaining a lot more I would think…" he added with a slight laugh. I just smiled.

"It seems to be sprained. I wouldn't be surprised with the amount of force that would have been put on it to pull off what you did," He informed me.

"What should I do about it?" I asked.

"I recommend that you limit what you do with your right arm. Also, cold packs might help you relieve some of the pain and bring swelling down," he explained. I nodded. Kisa had joined Momiji and Kagura in listening and was nodding.

Hatori stood up then and turned around. Noticing Kisa standing there, he started to smile.

"Oh yes… You have an appointment with me on Wednesday, don't you?" he asked. Kisa nodded to him.

"Let's see… If I recall you wanted a physical done?" he asked. I raised my eyebrow. Kisa noticed this and turned slightly pink before nodding. Why didn't she just tell me it was a physical?

"Your mother also said that you wanted me to…" Hatori started.

"Yeah!" Kisa exclaimed, interrupting him. He just looked slightly confused at her. I was probably wearing the same expression.

Then I realized that it was probably ME that was causing the communication difficulties… Kisa apparently didn't wish me to know the reason that she was going... so I decided to leave.

"I have a feeling that I'm causing a bit of a problem here so I think I will take my leave now," I muttered quietly as I turned and walked up the stairs.

"Hiro…" Kisa pleaded back up at me.

"It's ok. I will be in your room if you need anything," I assured as I reached the top of the stairs. Entering Kisa's bedroom, I walked over to her bed and lay down. Not realizing how tired I actually was, I quickly found myself drifting away…

Feeling a slight nudging, I slowly opened my eyes. Both mothers and Kisa were standing over me. My eyes widened at the sight of all three of them. "Oops… I fell asleep," I apologized. Kisa giggled.

"Well I guess you have a choice to make, Hiro…" My mother commented. Uh oh…

"Yes. You've gotten this girl seriously attached to you. She refuses to leave your side and says she will leave if you do," Kisa's mother added. Kisa…

"Can't you stay here for just tonight, Kisa?" I asked. Kisa shook her head back and forth.

"If you go to your house tonight, I go. If you stay here, I stay too," she replied.

"Looks like we will have to start sharing…" My mother joked.

"Not for long anyway," I commented.

"So you were serious about moving out?" Kisa's mother asked. I just nodded so she continued, "Well I'm not sure if I fully agree with my little girl moving out on her own…"

"Mother… I wouldn't be on my own for one. Besides, you couldn't stop me if you wanted to. You would have to lock every door and window from the outside and even then it wouldn't take me long to break one and escape off the balcony…" Kisa explained. Her mother pouted for a little bit but I must say that I was a little touched by Kisa's newfound loyalty.

"Well… where are you going to stay tonight then, Hiro?" Kisa's mother asked. I picked up a touch of pleading in the voice so I looked over at my mother. She just nodded to me.

"I guess I will stay here tonight then…" I added. Kisa's mother looked overjoyed. Mine was just smiling sadly at me so I continued, "…but I will have to stay at my house tomorrow…" Mother seemed to cheer up a little. This was going to be harder than I thought!

"Very well. I'm going home then, Hiro. I will see you tomorrow?" Mother asked. I nodded. She left with Kisa's mother, chatting happily. Kisa was still standing at the end of the bed. Glancing back over at her, I smiled.

Kisa crawled up to me on the bed then and lay down beside me. "Sorry about downstairs earlier," she apologized then.

"It isn't a problem. If you didn't want to tell me, I can respect that," I spoke, closing my eyes. I was SO tired today. Maybe everything was finally catching up with me?

"I still shouldn't keep secrets from you," Kisa replied sadly.

"I know you will tell me when you're ready so I'm not worried," I responded in a calm voice.

"Hiro…" her voice responded. Feeling her weight move over me, I smiled.

Not entirely unexpected, I felt her lips touch against mine. It was a rather lazy contact really. I was relatively passive though and just let her kiss me. Soon I felt her tongue brush my lips so I opened them slightly. It slipped inside and began playing with my tongue. I couldn't help myself any longer. Reaching upwards I pulled her into me more. She felt so warm…

Suddenly we were plunged into darkness after an audible click. The kiss stopped almost instantly and I felt her pull away slightly. Chuckling came from the hallway then and footsteps rapidly disappeared down the stairs. Kisa's mother can be so silly sometimes…

"Um… do you want me to get the light?" Kisa asked hesitantly. Well she probably SHOULD but… Tempting…

Instead of answering I simply kicked out under Kisa. Since she was straddling my stomach it probably felt rather odd but oh well. The sheets extended downward from under us then. Sitting up into Kisa then, I grabbed both sides of the sheets from around her and pulled them up to her shoulders. Continuing the downward pull while grabbing her, I landed on my back again. Followed quickly by Kisa landing on me and the covers sliding over her, I thought that worked rather well. Kisa giggled.

"That was rather smooth… I take it you want to just go to bed then?" she asked.

If I had responded it was with another kiss to the lips. I think I surprised her then because she made a slight inhale of air though her nose. Soon she was kissing me back though. Quickly deepening it, I slid her over onto her side. Giggling slightly when she landed on the pillow, Kisa broke the kiss. I guess I had gotten a little carried away… I started to close my eyes again when I felt her lean forward… again. Resuming our earlier kiss, I rolled again. Kisa made a light squeaking noise when she suddenly found herself under me. Time to amuse myself… Resuming the kiss, I started to undo the buttons of her school uniform's shirt. Kisa's eyes widened considerable then. Heh… This probably wasn't what she thought it was but… let her think what she wanted for the time being. Finally getting the front of her shirt undone, I slipped it off her shoulders. She let it easily slide off, breaking momentarily in her attempts to lift my shirt up to slide the sleeves off her arms. I helped her get my shirt off then, momentarily breaking our kiss. Looking back down at her, she was staring up at me with rather wide eyes. Her breathing had deepened considerably though. Leaning back down, I started kissing her again. She eagerly resumed and proceeded to slide my shorts down. Manipulating her hands, I made sure she only had grabbed the band of my shorts, and not boxers too. After she had tossed my shorts off the side of the bed, I removed hers and dropped them onto mine. Feeling most of her skin against mine was rather nice but still… heh… She started leaning forward again but I simply slipped off the top of her and resumed my position on my side beside her. She sat upright almost instantly and gave me a questioning look.

"Bedtime now…" I replied happily, trying my hardest not to laugh. Kisa just stared at me with a shocked expression on her face. It was too much! I started chuckling out loud. Kisa's shock melted into a slightly irritated grin.

"That wasn't very nice you know…" she spoke then in a slightly scolding tone.

"It was funny though," I added. She thought about it for a second.

"Yeah… it was rather funny…" she admitted.

I just kept smiling at her. Kisa snuggled in beside me after a couple of seconds. Pondering for a little bit I decided to ask against my better judgment.

"I'm curious. Would you have actually stopped me?" I asked her.

"Um… I don't know. Probably not…" she replied. Why?

"I thought we were going to wait until I had a "stable lifestyle" before we started raising a family though…" I commented. Kisa laughed.

"You had just said raising a family though… I'll just stop taking my pills when you declare that we have a stable lifestyle," she explained. My brain went slightly numb…

"You're on birth control pills?" I asked in slight disbelief. Why hadn't I known this?

"Yeah… Mother kind of mandated that I start taking them after we started actually dating each other, even though I tried to tell her that I didn't really need to. At first I was embarrassed but they have become kind of a habit now," she informed me.

"Really…?" I asked. Wow…

Kisa nodded to me before rotating around in bed. She reached over and slid open her bedside stand. Digging through it for a few moments, she withdrew a small case and handed it to me. It looked a lot like a make-up container but Kisa didn't bother with make-up… Suddenly I realized that it was the same one that she had me pick up from her house a couple days ago! Opening it up I noticed that there was two pills remaining in it. Twenty-eight individual slots encircle the center but most were already empty. Oh…

"Hatori needs to refill my prescription on Wednesday when I go in for my physical. I was a little embarrassed when he started asking me in front of everyone earlier… sorry," she commented.

"It's ok. Now that I realize what it was about I don't really blame you," I told her. After handing her the case back I continued, "I mean… of course you didn't want to say anything in front of Momiji if you didn't want everyone else knowing…" I added with a slight laugh. Kisa joined me after setting the case back on the bedside table.

"You have a point…" she said after she finally stopped laughing.

"Well… I won't tell anybody," I reinforced as I lay back down.

"Thanks, Hiro…" she said softly as she joined me.

Pulling her slightly closer I gave her one last light kiss on the lips. She sighed lightly and set her hands on my chest. After pulling up the covers, my arms assumed their usual position around her waist. Cuddling her against me, I nuzzled her cheek and remained there. After a few minutes we slipped away into dreams…

* * *

**Arrangements**

* * *

"Wake up you two! It's time for breakfast!" we heard echoing through our dream. Kisa stopped in mid high kick. My left arm was just blocking it when I froze. It sounded like Kisa's mother. Our eyes opened simultaneously. Waking up, light was shining through Kisa's still opened window. Kisa sat up slowly in bed then and started fidgeting with her hair. There was a slight tangle in it which she was deftly working out. The voice must have come from downstairs because her mother was nowhere to be seen. I'm glad for that, though, because Kisa just sat right up in bed without thinking about it. This had the side effect of exposing her entire upper body, still clad in its underwear. Still lying down, I simply absorbed Kisa's beauty as she worked with her hair. 

"Did you two hear me?!?" I heard from downstairs again. Oops… Kisa's eyes widened slightly and she dove off the side of the bed. My shorts landed on my head as she launched them, followed very quickly by my shirt. After getting dressed, we rushed downstairs.

Breakfast was on the table when we arrived and was just as delicious as ever. After I was done eating, I leaned back contently in the chair and watched Kisa. She may be a slow eater, but every bite was rather graceful. Her mother sat down with a piece of toast when Kisa was almost done.

"Thanks for the food again, Mom," I spoke happily. Kisa's mother just smiled and nodded at me. Time to get this over with…

"Kisa? I need you to stay here with your mom for a couple of hours. Do you mind?" I asked cautiously after she had finished chewing. Her eyes went wide and she looked over at me quickly.

"No, Hiro! I want to go with you…" she pleaded. I tried to put on a warm smile.

"Don't worry. I'll be back soon. I have a few arrangements to be made, though, and I thought you would like to talk with your mother for a couple of hours," I explained. Kisa looked confused so I continued, "You know… About some of the things we talked about?" I tried to remind her.

She started to smile then and nodded. "Well as long as you promise to come back as soon as possible!" she added. I nodded. "Ok… Hurry back, though!" she called out as I walked out the door.

This was my first time WITHOUT Kisa for almost three SOLID days. We had been with each other in waking AND sleeping hours for quite a while now. Hard to believe I missed her already and I hadn't even made it to the end of the walkway yet. We will be able to spend the rest of our lives like this… That thought brought a smile to my face.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, I reached the restaurant again. The Maitred' stopped me when I reached the podium.

"You don't have a reservation this time, Mr. Sohma," he spoke calmly.

"I just wanted to speak with Michael for a moment," I answered.

"He's in the back right now. Do you wish me to bring you to him?" he asked. I simply nodded and proceeded to follow him into the kitchen.

Towards the back, I noticed Michael. He had on a pair of blue jeans and a light t-shirt. Not seeming to bother with the dress code of the rest of the building, he also had his long black hair touching his shoulders. Well… he WAS the owner. I leaned up against the wall next to him and waited for him to finish talking with one of the waitresses.

"How's Kisa doing?" he asked politely when he turned around.

"She's doing great; it's her mother that's freaking out," I joked. Michael laughed.

"So… is there a particular reason that you're here?" he finally asked.

"I have decided to take you up on your offer of a job this summer, but…" I started to explain before hesitating.

"But what?" he asked.

"My situation has changed a little bit in light of current events. I'm going to be moving into an apartment this summer and Kisa will be moving in with me…" I explained.

"Does Kisa need a job?" he asked. Why does he want to know?

"Kind of… The only problem is getting her to leave my side for more than thirty seconds at a time," I added.

"Well, Kisa could work here too…" he offered.

"Really?" I asked. It was uncharacteristic of me to be surprised... but his generosity always seemed to cause that effect in me...

"Ask her and get back to me. If you both wish to work here, report to me directly on Monday."

"Ok! Thanks, Michael!" I shouted to him as I rushed towards the door.

"No problem, Hiro! Stay safe!" he replied in a shout.

After I had left the restaurant, I wandered towards the residential distract. There's a massive apartment complex there and they were advertising having a lot of openings. This was a relatively nice place, so it would be a great start for Kisa and me. Approaching the main office, I noted a young girl outside raking leaves. She raised her hand to me as I approached.

"Are you here about one of the apartments?" she asked as I went up the walkway.

Stopping, I glanced over at her before talking, "Actually, yes. I was wondering if you had a nice one bedroom apartment still available," I spoke.

"We have several still. What floor do you prefer to be on?" she asked.

"Ground floor would be lovely," I stated.

"Well do come inside with me, please," she asked. She must be the owner's daughter or something.

Walking inside, I noticed that she was already behind the counter when I got there. There was a rather large paper notebook that had all sorts of slots on it.

"Shall I reserve apartment 4A in your name then Mr. Um…" she started asking.

"Sohma, Hiro Sohma," I responded. She smiled then and tilted her head a little to me.

"Hiro, huh? Why does that sound familiar?" she asked.

"Do you go to high school?" I joked. She nodded?!?

"You're THE Hiro Sohma!?!" she asked then, slightly in awe… What?

"Um… I guess…" I replied hesitantly. I didn't think I was that popular. If anything, I was the opposite.

"Wow! Everyone calls you the Angel of Death at school!" she exclaimed excitedly. I felt my temperature drop a couple degrees. Wow... they're freaks...

"Why?!?" I asked.

"They say you took down fifteen boys at once with just your fists!" she exclaimed.

"Well… Five were already taken out by Kisa, but…" I started.

"You got ten still!" she almost shouted. She was still smiling. Okay... getting annoyed now.

"Um… apartment?" I tried to remind her. Her eyes widened slightly and she turned red.

"Oops… sorry. Do you want a tour of the apartment before you sign up for it?" she asked.

"Yes, but could I schedule the tour for a different day?" I asked. I tilted my head slightly and smiled at her.

The pink deepened in her cheeks but she nodded. "What day would you like to schedule the tour for?" she asked.

"Tomorrow would be perfect. I will be bringing another person with me, though," I answered.

"That's ok. I will mark it on the list as being looked into then," she informed me. Before I could thank her though she was talking again, "I will be here tomorrow, too. My father hires me in the summer to stay here and watch the desk. I will give you the tour tomorrow, Hiro," she explained further. Why did I think she wasn't going to like it when she saw Kisa? Oh well…

"Thank you, Miss…" I replied in a courtly manner followed by a light bow. She blushed furiously and rapidly returned my bow.

Not waiting for her to try to strike up anymore conversation, I walked out the door. Excellent! I have all of my current projects arranged and it only took me an hour…

* * *

**Argument**

* * *

Making it back to Kisa's house only took another fifteen minutes or so. Kisa and her mother were out in the yard, chatting happily. Her mother seemed to be enjoying herself and I debated actually interrupting or not. Kisa noticed me, though, and charged across the yard toward me. Managing somehow NOT to be knocked over by her charge, I wrapped my arms around her as she pushed into my chest. After she finally broke the kiss, I step backwards slightly. 

"I missed you!" she exclaimed happily… Um… ok.

"Well, I missed you too… Odd huh?" I joked. She smiled then. I see it coming and my hand is moving by the time she opens her mouth. Snatching her tongue the moment it came out, I noticed that her eyes got rather big. Kisa's mother started laughing in the background. Attempting to pull her tongue back in, Kisa sucked in my index finger as well, and after a few odd seconds, I pull it out with a slight popping noise. Kisa just smiled innocently at me. I smiled too… and then slid the index finger into my own mouth. Kisa's eyes widened again and she started blushing. I just poked her in the nose then and walked past her. She followed happily behind me and to the left a little.

"Did you two have a nice talk while I was gone?" I asked as I approached her mother.

"Oh yes… I didn't necessarily agree with it all but I guess it's really up to you two," she replied.

"What don't you agree with?" I asked her.

"I really don't think that Kisa will NEED to go to college if you're just going to support the entire family anyway. Kisa should worry about raising a family first, and then think about travel," she explained. I resisted laughing. Kisa had pegged her mother correctly after all.

"I'm not going to stop Kisa if she wants to go to college. It will be perfectly fine because we can just get one of the couples' rooms. As for travel, though, it would probably be a lot easier to do without kids. I'm not in any rush to have a family anyway," I explained.

"Yes, but Kisa will be graduating from High School a year ahead of you… What are you going to do, make her wait a year for you?" she asked then. There was a slightly disagreeable undertone to the question. I stopped walking. Kisa's mother looked back at me with a little guilty concern, like she thought she had upset me or something. Instead she found sad eyes looking back at her.

"Ultimately, it will be up to Kisa. She can wait a year for me if she wants to or she can live in the girl's dorm for the first year," I answered.

"You would trust her with all of those boys up there?!?" her mother asked in slight awe. Kisa's eyes widened considerably and she frowned at her mother.

"Kisa wouldn't cheat on me. She's also being trained in martial arts so if she feels she can defend herself… Again… I really don't have much say in it. I'm not going to stop her from going to college or even delay her if she doesn't want me to," I explained. There was a little bit of sadness in my voice but I concealed most of it.

"That would mean that she also graduates from COLLEGE a year ahead of you too. Are you going to make her wait before traveling then?!?" she asked, almost challenging me. This was somehow… sad.

"No… If Kisa wishes to leave here immediately after graduating college, I will let her. I'll catch up eventually," I calmly stated. Kisa looked close to tears now and I felt sorry for her.

"Why?!? How can you…?" she asked in slight disbelief.

"It's because I TRUST Kisa. She won't cheat on me and if she thinks she can defend herself properly, I will allow her to leave," I responded as I walked past her mother. I don't know about Kisa, but I was rather sick of this. If Kisa did decide to go off to college by herself, I would worry about her, of course, and probably lose a lot of sleep. Restricting her, though, is something I could NEVER do. Kisa started smiling happily at my show of trust. Kisa's mother looked terribly guilty and concerned, but I didn't care.

Walking back into the house, I went upstairs. Hearing footsteps follow me into Kisa's room, I turned around and looked. Kisa was behind me, smiling happily.

"Thanks for trusting me so much, Hiro. I think I will wait for you, though," she informed me.

"You don't have to if you don't wish to," I reinforced.

"I know, but I want to," she replied happily. I smiled at her.

Reaching into the closet, I pulled out my bag. I hadn't bothered to unpack it from yesterday, so I just slung both bags over my left shoulder. Kisa watched me intently.

"Are you leaving…?" she asked. I nodded.

"I don't blame you much. Mother can be rather stubborn sometimes. She told me she wants me to stay here for a little bit, but I don't really care what she wants anymore. Can we leave now?" she finally asked. I was a little surprised. What had they talked about that got Kisa so worked up? I had a few guesses, if the latest conversation was any indication at all...

"If you want to," I replied. Kisa nodded and grabbed her bag. We had made it downstairs by the time Kisa's mother entered the house.

"And where are you off to now, young lady?!?" she asked. Oh no…

"Wherever Hiro is off to," she replied dryly as we walked past her. Sadly, her mother decided to follow us into the yard.

"I think that you should let Hiro have a little free time of his own. You're probably overwhelming him by now," she added as she followed us. Ignoring the conversation entirely, I entered the garage for my bike.

"Hiro will tell me if I'm smothering him. With as little time that I have spent with him so far, though, I seriously doubt that he has a problem with me being with him," Kisa replied, following me inside. Grabbing my bike, I began to walk it out into the yard.

"Well I think that you should ask him instead of just assuming like you usually do," her mother commented. Ouch… Kisa's eyes started to get watery. Should I... do something? I didn't want to say something wrong and...

"Well I'm sick of hearing about what YOU think I should do!" Kisa exclaimed, raising her voice slightly. My thoughts fell apart. Well... this isn't good.

"Don't get huffy with me, girl! I'm just trying to help you by recommending good ideas to you! You don't have to throw them in my face!" she exclaimed back, also raising her voice. I thought Momiji and I were bad… Stopping then, I just looked back and forth between Kisa and her mother. Kisa had tears coming down her face now. Should I try to stop this? I didn't really know how…

"Recommending good ideas?!? Yeah right! You're trying to CONTROL me and tell me what to do! It's MY life and I can do whatever I want with it! Stop trying to make my choices for me, Mother…" Kisa replied heatedly. I had never really heard her quite so upset before.

"Fine then! Ruin your life to the point of no return! I don't care anymore! If you won't listen to my wisdom and trust so blindly in one boy then so be it! Go ahead! Ignore your entire past in favor of HIM!" Kisa's mother screamed. Kisa's eyes widened briefly but quickly narrowed. The tears still flowed freely down her face when she made her final comment.

"Hiro IS my past! He is more understanding of me than OTHER members of my past are and he has known me for less time, too! Obviously, he is the one that loves me the most! Goodbye, Mother…" she screamed. Everything but the final sentence had sounded very angry. Afterward, she whipped around rather quickly and walked in the direction of the gate. I watched her go for a little bit, shifted my vision back to her now crying mother, and then looked back at Kisa walking off. What just happened? Why do I somehow feel like I've been crammed into the middle of something? This... isn't going to be good...

"Wait up, Kisa!" I shouted as I rushed after her. She didn't reply as I approached her right.

We walked for a long time in silence. Halfway to my house, Kisa stopped walking. Quickly turning around to look at her, I noted the tears flowing down her cheeks again. Leaning the bike up against the wall to my right, I walked over to her. I placed my hand on her shoulder then. She looked up into my eyes and tried to smile but fell a little short. Instead, she lunged forward and buried her face in my chest. I tried to comfort her, but she just kept crying into my chest. After almost a full minute, she calmed down a little. Letting out a slight sob, Kisa looked back up at me.

"Please, Hiro… Take me away from all of this. I don't want to go back there…" she pleaded then.

"Well, you won't have to if you don't want to. I have a little bit of news for you," I informed her.

Her eyes widened slightly and a little smile found its way onto her lips. "What is it?" she asked, recovering slightly with a sniff.

"I've been looking around town and have finally found an apartment that's really nice. It's only a one bedroom, but it should be rather spacious still. I also talked to Michael and he is offering you the same job as me. We could work the same exact hours and make the same wages all summer while living at the apartment. It's also rather close to the school, so we can use it in the winter if we save up enough," I explained, smiling at her still. The tears finally stopped flowing, to my relief.

"Oh, Hiro!" she exclaimed and buried her face in my chest again. Pulling her against me further, I placed a small kiss on her forehead. Making all of her worries go away is one thing, but patching up her relationship with her mother was another. This could get ugly rather quickly. She finally broke away from me but was still smiling. I nodded to her and continued walking the bike. Kisa quickly caught up with me and walked to my left.

It took about five more minutes of silent walking to get to my house. After I stashed my bike in the garage, we walked inside with our bags. Mother greeted us at the door.

"Hey, you two! I didn't think that you would arrive this soon," Mother said with a smile.

"Hey, Mom… I'm going to be staying with you for a few days," Kisa announced. Mother frowned after examining Kisa.

"Have you been crying, Kisa?" she asked, concerned.

"Well… a little bit," she replied before walking past her and upstairs. Mother looked at me with a questioning expression.

"She got in a heated argument with her mother before we left… It didn't end well," I explained.

Mother looked towards the floor wearing a sad expression before asking, "Oh… Is she ok?"

"She seems to be relatively ok. I'll keep an eye on her," I answered, following Kisa upstairs.

When I entered my room, Kisa was sitting on my bed looking quite sad. I sat down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She quietly slid into my lap and rested her head against my chest. I just cuddled her for a little bit. She had sounded so… final when she had said goodbye to her mother. Mother came upstairs in a couple minutes and I was still cuddling Kisa.

"Did you remember everything you needed, dear?" she asked softly. Kisa's eyes widened considerable and she put her face into my chest again. That would be a no…

"I'm so sorry! I forgot a LOT of things, actually…" she spoke. How much more would she possibly need?

"You just tell Hiro what to get for you and he will go back," Mother said. Nice thinking!

"Will you?" she asked me. I simply nodded.

After a few minutes of telling me things she needed, I realized why she said she had forgotten a lot… She wanted almost the entire contents of her room! This could only mean that my guess was correct and she didn't EVER want to return… After copying the entire list down, I pocketed it and emptied my clothes bag. I would need it to carry all of the things in.

* * *

**Moving Out**

* * *

Leaving the house with the empty bag, I turned around once in the walkway. Kisa was standing there, being comforted by my mother. Hopefully Mother would be able to calm her down a little and make this only a temporary problem. 

It took me about ten minutes to walk back to Kisa's house. Dreading the entire way, I tried to think of things to say. No matter what I thought of, this wasn't going to be pleasant. Walking up to the door, I knocked. Kisa's mother came to the door and widened her eyes when she saw me. She opened the door up and I walked past her.

"You don't have to knock, Hiro…" she spoke quietly as I walked past. Stopping, I turned around and looked sadly at her. All of the comments she had made to Kisa and I just wouldn't disappear from my head. I couldn't manage to smile so I just looked at the floor instead. "Why are you here?" she asked after a few uncomfortable seconds. What did she think? Was she stupid?

"Kisa wants me to pick some things up from her room," I explained quietly, heading upstairs. Her mother followed me, unfortunately.

"What things?" she asked sadly as she walked. I pulled the lengthy list out of my pocket and sighed. Almost twenty different items were listed and some of them might be rather heavy…

"She's not coming back… is she?" her mother finally asked. There was both guilt and sadness in her voice.

"Would you?" I asked her, rather indifferently. There wasn't a response so I continued into Kisa's room.

Let's see… Ah… Pills… Looking back towards her bedside table, I saw the pill case still sitting there. Casually, I reached over and dropped it into my bag. What's next…? More underwear?!? Lovely… Her mother had entered at the exact moment that I had started pulling the underwear out of the drawer… Great… If her mother was bothered by it, she didn't let on.

"Was she really as upset as she let on?" her mother asked after a little while.

"We had to stop halfway for me to comfort her…" I replied coldly. Her mother looked down at the floor. She was much too controlling... Kisa was right.

What next? Let's see… Black leather book with yellow rose on cover? What on earth…? Glancing around the room, I finally noticed such a book sitting on her dresser. It was quite thick and seemed to be custom made. The elegant yellow rose on the cover was stunningly beautiful. After I picked it up, I also realized that it was quite heavy. What was this book about? Odd…

"Aren't you going to open it to see…" her mother asked then, probably reading my expression. I just shrugged.

"Kisa didn't tell me what it was so she probably didn't want me to know. I respect her privacy…" I replied calmly.

"It's her diary that her grandmother gave her upon entering third grade. It was in celebration of her finally learning how to write. It should be long enough to last until her graduation from high school…" her mother explained.

"Hmm… interesting," I answered, before casually placing it into the bag.

"You aren't the least bit curious as to what she thinks about you?!?" she asked in slight disbelief.

"Nope. She's told me what she thinks about me and I trust that she told me the truth," I replied without delay.

"Even after all that she's done to you…? How?!?" she asked.

"I love her," I replied simply.

"Well so do I, but that doesn't mean that I always think she's telling me the truth," her mother answered, slightly stunned. I just smiled. She WAS clueless.

"It would be awfully difficult to compare our two very different types of love for Kisa. You wish to try and stop her from making any bad mistakes in her life. I just desire to be there for her to fall back upon if she needs me. People learn from their mistakes and Kisa just wants to make her own decisions," I explained. Her mother just frowned and seemed to lose herself in thought. I decided to continue.

What's next…? Pictures? What pictures…? Uh oh. Glancing up at the large bulletin board that Kisa keeps in her room, I notice that every inch of it is covered with pictures, some even overlapping! There didn't seem to be any pins or thumb tacks so I could only assume that she used sticky tack to put them up. This was going to get really messy and overall, just be a pain in the…

"No matter what I do… I can't seem to stop thinking of her as my little baby girl…" her mother said all of a sudden, snapping me out of my thought process. After I glanced over at her, she continued, "I love Kisa. I just don't want anything bad to happen to her," she finished.

"I'm fairly sure that Kisa understands this. She just wants to make her own decisions about the direction of her life. Also she must want you to acknowledge that she's NOT a little kid anymore and can wisely make her own decisions," I explained. Not waiting for her to continue, I start taking pictures down off the wall. They WERE sticky tacked up… Her mother didn't say anything until almost half of the pictures were gone.

"Oh, Hiro… You're right of course. She must have felt horrible that I still treat her like a little kid. I must have completely smothered her! She will be getting married in a year, too!" she announced mainly to herself. I stopped pulling the pictures off and turned around to look at her again. She continued, "…and you're her fiancé. Of course she would want to be with you. I'm sorry for everything that I said about you and her earlier. She won't ruin her life by trusting and marrying you. You have certainly protected her far better than I have, after all. Do you think that you could tell her that I apologized?" she asked then.

"I'm not promising anything, but I will pass the message to her," I replied. Turning back around, I proceeded to get the rest of the pictures. Hopefully Kisa would accept it and they can at least talk civilly again.

"Thank you, Hiro. I'm glad that you're going to marry Kisa. I think she really does need you," she replied. Pulling the last picture from the wall, I slipped them all into a side pouch and closed it. "My little girl is moving out to live with her fiancé! What AM I going to do?" she asked to no one in particular. On a glance, I noticed she was crying again but still smiling. She looked over at me and I smiled at her.

"That's easy. Respect her decision and let her go. She has to leave home sometime…" I answered calmly.

"It's… hard…" she spoke quietly.

"And she understands that. It's not like she will sever all connections with you when she moves out. Just don't miss this chance to apologize to her or you might regret it later," I explained. I was starting to sound like Momiji! Her mother just smiled at me.

"You're wise beyond your years, Hiro," she spoke as she walked forward. Looking at the list in my hands, she started to actually help me gather some of the items! Well... one end taken care of anyway. This was... making my head hurt.

After her mother started to help me, it only took about a half an hour to gather everything from the room. The bag was VERY full by the time we were done. It also weighed about ninety pounds! This was going to be murder trying to get back to my house…

"Are you sure that you can carry all of that to your house?" her mother asked me in the entry hall.

"As long as I use my left shoulder, I should be fine," I replied. If it didn't snap off halfway home…

"If you're sure…" she spoke hesitantly. I nodded to her before walking out of the house. That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

After about half a mile of walking, my shoulder was starting to hurt. Grr… Why on earth did we have to live so far apart?!? Upon further thought, however, I realized that we were actually rather close but it just SEEMED like so far… Still… She could have gotten these things in increments too. Why do I do things like this? Heh… because Kisa asked me to. Never being able to say no to Kisa had its disadvantages.

Stumbling slightly when I entered my yard, I managed somehow to keep my balance. Kisa must have been watching for me from the window because she rushed out towards me when I stumbled.

"Here, let me get that, Hiro!" she shouted. Attempting to pull it out of my arms, it unbalanced me. Both of us AND the bag went over into a heap in the yard. Kisa started laughing then so I joined her. After a few moments of laughing, my mother came out to watch us. Kisa finally managed to stop and smiled at me then.

"Thanks for getting my stuff, Hiro," she said sweetly then. She leaned forward and started to close her eyes. I placed a finger on her lips. She looked confused.

"Your mother has a message for you," I stated then. Kisa looked down slightly. I explained everything that her mother had told me.

"I think I knew about most of it already," she said after I was done.

"She did apologize a lot. You should give her another chance," I told her. Kisa nodded then.

"Not tonight, though…" she said at last. I nodded and started to stand up. Kisa's hand reached out and caught mine, pulling me back down.

"Oh no you don't, silly. I haven't thanked you for getting my stuff," she said playfully.

When I was into a crouched position again, Kisa lunged forward. Both of us went backwards. It hurt a little to land on my back, but I ignored it in favor of Kisa's lips pressed against mine. We just lay there for a few moments and my mother started laughing. After a couple of seconds, Kisa broke off and sat up on me. Mother walked up then.

"You can probably just leave most of the stuff packed up until you move into the apartment," Mother recommended. Kisa must have told her about the apartment when I left.

"Good idea… I really only needed a few of these things right away," she replied.

Sitting up then, I lifted Kisa completely off the ground and set her back onto her feet. After retrieving the bag, I walked back towards the house. Kisa happily followed to my left. We walked inside and Kisa followed me upstairs. After depositing her bag near my closet door, I promptly collapsed onto the bed. It felt rather nice to not be carrying anything. Glancing over to my right again, I notice Kisa digging through her bag. My stomach growled about then, so I decided to go down and get something to eat… It was almost suppertime and I hadn't had lunch yet.

Mother didn't appear to be around when I made it downstairs, so I walked over to the fridge. Gathering together the required elements of my favorite sandwich, I start putting it together. I wondered if Kisa's mother would apologize or not. She's going to want to be in on the wedding planning, so this could get ugly if Kisa hadn't repaired their relationship by then. Should I try harder to get them back together? It might be a good idea if I…

Not paying attention while cutting a sandwich is a bad idea, I learned… again… I let out a slight yelp and dropped the knife when it went into the side of my hand. There was almost a half an inch cut in my hand! I sighed as the blood started to leak out and onto the counter. I heard rapid footsteps on the stairs then. Kisa must have heard my yelp. Staring down at my now ruined sandwich, I sighed.

"Hiro?!? Why did you… Oh no!" Kisa exclaimed as she rushed towards me. She quickly hauled me into the bathroom and started to clean up the blood. After only about a minute and a half she had it completely bandaged up, and I wandered back into the kitchen. Kisa followed me and looked down at the blood soaked sandwich. After we had disposed of the sandwich, Kisa insisted on making me something to eat.

Little did I realize that she was making a full course dinner? Both of us sat there, incredibly full, for quite a while. Kisa then got up and started to do the dishes. I wandered over and started helping her dry them. Mother came back in when we were almost done and just stared at us in shock.

"You two really look like a couple now…" she commented after recovering.

"Do we really?" Kisa asked curiously. Mother just nodded.

"What did you do, make supper?" she asked then.

"Safer than letting Hiro try to make himself something…" Kisa commented. Ouch! The brat!

"Hey! I don't cut myself EVERY time..." I defended in a mildly irritated tone. Kisa's eyes widened.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hiro. I didn't mean to upset you..." she rapidly apologized. Wow. She was touchy tonight.

I smiled to her again and shook my head. "You don't need to apologize. I guess I did deserve it... a little..." Kisa laughed and nodded in reply. Her mother just shook her head in exasperation at us...

We walked back upstairs and Kisa ran over to her backpack… Oh no… After a bit of rummaging, she withdrew THREE Mogeta DVDs. Turning around, she smiled sweetly at me with a rather pleading look in her eyes. Letting out a very audible groan, I collapsed backwards onto the bed… I felt the bottom of my mattress move downward and Kisa crawled into me. I knew what was coming… I didn't bother to open my eyes when I felt Kisa straddle me.

"Please, Hiro… Can we please watch them? I've waited almost a month now just so I could watch them with you," she pleaded. Must resist… Must… My traitor hand ejected the disk tray… Kisa squealed and ran over, inserting all three into the tray. I just sighed and prepared for a full evening of silliness and insanity…

Soon, Kisa was cuddling into me happily. Why couldn't I say no to her? Oh well. At least she was happy…

* * *

**Night**

* * *

Mother entered the room almost five hours later. We were finally halfway though the last disk. Kisa had laughed almost constantly and couldn't sit still for more than four seconds. I was just lying there, staring at the screen with a slight eye twitch. Hearing the footsteps coming up the stairs, I was so happy. Temporary relief from this… I didn't care who it was. I would gladly welcome Momiji! 

Mother just stared at us for a few seconds. Kisa was rather animated and laughing loudly still. I was rigid and just staring blankly at the screen. I could see Mother stifle a snicker.

"The things you put yourself through to appease her…" Mother commented. Kisa gave a little start and started turning around. Thankfully I was much faster at putting on my happy and excited face. She looked slightly concerned when she turned around but quickly started smiling at me.

"Don't let her bother you, Kisa. She just doesn't understand this Anime…" I explained, still smiling. Kisa giggled slightly and turned back around. I instantly dropped my smile and exhaled. Mother just rolled her eyes.

"Anyway… I'm going to bed. Don't stay up TOO late, you two," she suggested. She exited the room, closing the door as she went. I took mild note of the fact that she didn't put any blankets in the room for the couch… Kisa's giggle distracted me from my thoughts and I turned once more to the torture in front of me…

After another hour or so the DVD finally ended. My brain was numb by then and I couldn't seem to process anything with any great speed. I think it was the combined forces of the DVD and lack of sleep. Why did I put myself though such torture? I loved Kisa. She loved Mogeta. Equation set me equal to loving Mogeta too… I sighed. When the DVD finally came to an end I pressed the power button on my remote. The TV went snowy so I turned it off too. Kisa looked around at me happily. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton so I was probably a little slow to return the smile.

Glancing over at the clock, I sleepily noted that it was after two in the morning. Why me? Hoping to at least get six hours of cuddling Kisa out of it, I was slightly disappointed when she couldn't sit still long enough to be held. Instead she was sitting cross legged about two feet away from me, closer to the TV. What a night… More complicated thought escaped me as I rolled out of bed and blundered downstairs. Time for a small snack before bed… maybe I would get lucky and find an apple or something.

Turning left rather sharply, I accidentally put my left shoulder into the wall. Stumbling, I sleepily rubbed my eyes. Who put that wall there?! Wow… mental overload. After wandering around the kitchen for almost ten minutes, I finally managed to find a couple cookies so I poured myself an accompanying glass of milk. Why did cookies and milk always mix so well? I sat alone at the kitchen table while munching. I had honestly thought that Kisa would have investigated as to my whereabouts by now. Maybe she was finally getting back to her usual self after her little scare this Saturday. It seems to take her less and less time to re-adjust. What would I have to do to get her attention next? Actually kill myself? Laughing slightly at the thought, I finished the cookies and rinsed my cup out. I wandered carefully up the stairs then and entered my room. Maybe Kisa just had fallen asleep?

Kisa was sitting at my desk writing in the black book with the yellow rose. I now knew it to be her diary. Not wanting to disturb her, I started to back out. Kisa must have heard the floor creak because she turned around and looked at me.

"Sorry to disturb your writing. I will wait downstairs for you to finish. Come get me when you're done, ok?" I explained quickly.

"Wait, Hiro…" she spoke softly but I had already left the room. Wandering back downstairs I found the paper and started listlessly peeking thought it.

The comics amused me briefly but didn't last very long. The sports section covered all of the primary teams around here. Why didn't anybody ever come up with a martial arts team? That would be interesting. I should come up with one someday if I can find enough people to form it. It would be rather silly, though. Oh well. Flipping to the front page, I read the headlines. Ha! Window somehow broken on the thirty second floor of the Sohma skyscraper was on the front page… interesting. Reports are currently being filed and an investigation is taking place. That just means that our family would wait long enough to allow the insurance to replace the window…

Rolling my eyes slightly, I flipped to the inner stories. After finally running out of those I even looked thought the obituaries… Thankfully nobody I knew had passed away. I sighed. What time was it now? Glancing at the wall clock it read almost three thirty… Maybe I should check to see if she's done yet? Not wanting to barge in, I decided to read a bit from the novel Mother was currently working on. Romance/Mystery wasn't really my thing though. If you have read one you can easily guess at the plots of the others. Kisa probably did have a lot to write about, though. She hadn't had the diary all weekend and she HAD almost died. I could only imagine the amount of emotions that she could put down on paper after THAT.

Slowly blinking, I realized that it took a lot longer for me to open my eyes again. Looking up at the clock, it read four thirty. That's it… I'm going to check on her… Carefully making my way upstairs again, I managed to only trip twice. Peeking carefully into my room, I looked over at the desk where Kisa was writing earlier. She had her head down on the open book and was smiling peacefully. Figures… I wonder how long she's been asleep. Oh well… Wandering over to where she was, I glanced down at her. She looks so beautiful and peaceful when she sleeps. Lately I have been seeing a lot more of her peaceful expressions when she's awake too, so that's good. Slowly moving my arms under her, I lifted her out of the chair and cradled her in my arms. After carrying her over to the bed, I set her down gently. I wandered back over to the desk then and closed the book without looking at the writing. Reaching for the light, I heard a rustling.

"Um… Hiro?" I heard from a very sleepy Kisa. Smiling over at her then, I apologized.

"I tried not to wake you… sorry," I spoke in a slightly sleepy voice myself.

She sat upright rather quickly then. "Oh no! I fell asleep, didn't I? I was supposed to come down and get you when I was done!" she commented sadly.

"It's ok… I don't mind," I replied with a smile. So tired though. Turning out the desk light, I wandered towards the switch for the overhead.

"What time IS it anyway?" Kisa asked, slightly concerned.

"The last I looked it was almost four thirty," I replied. Finally reaching the light switch, I flicked it off. Kisa oddly didn't turn on the light on my bedside table? Flicking the overhead light back on, I glanced over at her. Both of her hands were covering her mouth and she looked rather guiltily at me. My brain wasn't working correctly, though, and I just walked over and turned on the bedside light myself.

"Oops…" she spoke quietly after noticing me turn on the light. Walking BACK over to the overhead light switch, I turned it off again. Finally, I was able to settle down into the bed. It felt so good… I barely managed to reach up to the bedside light to plunge the room into darkness.

"I'm so sorry, Hiro!" Kisa exclaimed after a couple seconds of darkness.

"Don't worry about it, Kisa… I just need a little sleep now…" I replied. If she had said anything else, I didn't hear it. I shut my eyes and quickly disappeared.

* * *

**Sleep Deficient**

* * *

It seemed like I had just shut my eyes when a deafening crashing noise echoed through the house. Sitting upright in bed, I glanced over at the clock. It read seven o'clock. What on earth was going on?!? Glancing over at Kisa, I noted that she was still asleep. I decided to wander out of my room then to investigate and met Mother in the hallway. She nodded to me as she went past. 

When we arrived on the first floor, both of us glanced out the window. A construction team was working on the street in front of our house. Lovely… Mother just shook her head then.

"I'm going to have to give the city a call on this one," she mumbled before walking into the kitchen. Following her, I sat down at the table. My body felt numb and I realized that I had never changed out of my clothes from yesterday… just great. Two and a half hours of sleep was all that was driving me at the moment and I felt like my head was made of wood.

"Want some breakfast, Hiro?" Mother asked from the kitchen. All I could manage was to nod my head… thinking hurt too much at the moment. After about a half an hour, Mother set a couple plates of food in front of me.

"Thanks… Mom…" I spoke rather slowly. After taking almost an hour to eat my food, I decided to take a shower. It didn't help me wake up much, but at least it let me change out of my clothes from yesterday and into some new ones. Wandering back out of the bathroom, I sat down in a chair in the living room and turned on the big TV. Many mindless hours of sight and sound stimulation later I heard light footsteps coming down the stairs.

Kisa walked down the stairs wearing a nightgown and looking around rather sleepily. Yes, Kisa… you have managed… somehow… to sleep until one in the afternoon. Kisa glanced over at me and smiled. After examining my probably amusing face for a while she started to frown. One of the jackhammers decided to start up again at that point. Kisa jumped slightly and walked over to the window.

"How long has the construction been going on outside?" she asked then.

"Since seven in the morning…" my mother spoke irritably as she walked by. Kisa's eyes widened.

"You woke up with the construction too?!?" she asked, concerned. All I could do was nod.

"But that means that you only got two and a half hours of sleep!" she exclaimed. Thanks for reminding me… I was starting to feel dizzy from all of this nodding. Kisa looked down at the floor slightly and I noticed tears starting to build up. My body instinctively reached into its pocket and withdrew a tissue for her. Kisa accepted the tissues and hopefully took it as an "it's ok" because I really couldn't form the words in my head. Walking past her then, I headed for the second floor. Kisa followed behind me slowly. Tripping about three fourths of the way up, I scrambled the rest of the way on all fours. My arms went backwards when they ran out of stairs to climb though and I skidded about four feet on my face across the carpet. Oh well… I heard Kisa yelp behind me when I tripped and hoped I hadn't kicked her in my scrambling. Pushing myself off the ground, I stood up again. Kisa had just stopped running up the stairs when I stood up and was just looking at me with a slightly concerned look. Shaking my head vigorously, I managed to clear it a little bit. The right side of my face suddenly hurt…

"What do you want to do today, Kisa?" I asked. She frowned.

"You should try to get back to sleep…" she spoke softly then. I shook my head.

"We have a tour to go to at one thirty. I can't fall asleep now or I won't wake up in time for the tour," I explained.

"Tour? What tour?" she asked curiously.

"It's a tour of the apartment that we will be moving into," I replied, finally able to manage a smile. Kisa's eyes widened considerably.

"Really?!?" she exclaimed happily. I nodded again. Sadly, Mother must have been listening…

"I'm not going to let you wander around town today in your present condition…" she said after rounding the corner.

"I don't want Kisa going by herself…" I replied groggily.

"Well, don't worry about it… I will DRIVE her over there myself!" Mother replied. I sighed… Finally my mind was starting to function again and Mother restrains me to the house! I had wanted to take the tour with Kisa so badly, too. How can I make this up to her? Hmm… Wait… Driving? Hmm… I could surprise Kisa. Finally realizing that I hadn't answered yet and both ladies were just staring at me with a slightly concerned look, I quickly glanced around.

"Oops… sorry. I think I zoned out," I spoke quickly.

"Do we WANT to know what you were thinking about?" Mother asked with a smile. Kisa giggled… Um… what?

"Uh… what do you mean by that?!?" I asked.

"He really must have been zoning out if he didn't even know where he was staring the entire time," Mother replied with a laugh. Kisa nodded and they walked downstairs. I was confused. I had simply been facing Kisa the last I remembered. Was I looking at HER? Oops…

After a couple of minutes, Kisa ran back upstairs. I was sitting at my desk staring out the window when she came in.

"You should go back to bed…" she spoke softly. I just shrugged and kept looking out the window. Kisa sighed. "I'm sorry for keeping you up…" she apologized again.

"It's fine. Just take good notes on the apartment," I replied.

"Um… Notes?" she asked cautiously. I couldn't help it… My head hit the desk. Why couldn't I go along?!? This was going to end up with no useful information whatsoever! I might as well cancel the whole tour! "Um… Do you want me to take notes?" Kisa asked with a slight tinge of guilt.

"No… Just have fun…" I replied sadly from the desk. Why couldn't I just pass out NOW?!?

"Hiro… I feel so bad about this. I'll make it up to you, don't worry…" she added. After a few minutes pause she continued, "Of course I ALWAYS say that and I'm yet to make ANYTHING up to you." The voice was so sad.

"Don't feel like you owe me, Kisa…" I reminded her.

"Hiro…" she started.

"Kisa! We're leaving now!" I heard my mother shout from downstairs.

"Best get going…" I added. Kisa looked down at the floor again before turning around and exiting the room. There was nothing really that I could do if she felt she owed me for something. Walking into the bathroom, I splashed my face with cold water before walking back into my room. Opening the window, I climbed out onto the roof and slid down the shingles gently. I slipped off the side of the roof and dropped the ten feet to the ground. I would probably get lectured for this later, but sitting around and doing nothing would drive me insane…

* * *

**Tour**

* * *

Hiro's mother and I finally reached the apartment complex that Hiro told us about. The complex itself was absolutely huge. I could only imagine how noisy it got at night, but Hiro would be here with me which made the whole thing easier to deal with. I can't believe that he stayed up so late last night, though. I felt rather guilty for falling asleep and not going to get him. He seemed like he really wanted to go on this tour with me, too. 

Snapping out of my thinking when we reached the main building, I wandered inside after Hiro's mother. A young girl was at the desk. It would seem that she was expecting us. Oddly, it looked like she was dressed up for something… Maybe she had a date lined up for after this. It would explain why she looked so nervous…

"Oh… um… hello! May I help you?" she asked in a friendly manner when we approached. Maybe she wasn't expecting us.

"Yes. We are here to tour a first floor apartment. Hiro came here yesterday and requested a tour, but he couldn't make it today," Hiro's mother replied.

"Oh no! What happened to him?!?" she asked in a concerned voice. Oh no... I suddenly understood why she was dressed up.

"Oh, nothing serious… I just kept him up too late, that's all," I replied to her with a smile. Back off…

"Oh? Kisa! I didn't notice that it was you! Are you related to Hiro?" she asked curiously then. I just smiled prettily at her.

"Nope… not yet anyway. I'm his fiancée," I answered happily. Her look of surprise was so nice! It took her a couple of seconds to answer.

"Oh… um… really? Wow… I'm happy for you, then!" she replied, trying to smile. I felt like laughing, but nodded instead. "Well… let's get on with the tour then," she continued hastily. Hiro's mother just glanced at me with a slight grin, so I returned it.

Soon we had walked over to tower "A" and found the apartment on the first floor. I was a little nervous going into the apartment, but once I got inside the nervousness was replaced with awe. Expecting something barely better than a hotel room, I was quite surprised to find a fully equipped small house. The door was connected to the kitchen area. There was a stove and a fridge built into the kitchen. The counters had a sink placed into them and there was even a cabinet array. Walking further into the complex, I noticed that a little divider separated the kitchen and the living room. A door was open across from me, so I peeked in. A small bedroom greeted my eyes. There was a single, king size bed in the room along with a small dresser. I flopped down on the bed to test the mattress. The girl and Hiro's mother followed me into the bedroom.

"Sorry that there is only one bed, but it's a rather spacey bedroom," the girl explained. I nodded.

"Oh, that's ok…" I said rather happily without considering my words. Half a second later I realized what I had said and quickly put my hands to my mouth. Feeling the heat return to my face, I glanced over at Hiro's mother. She was chuckling?

"Don't worry about it, Kisa. I had my suspicions that you two were using the same bed for quite a while now… you simply confirmed it, that's all," she said with a slight smile. Well… Hiro would be upset with me, but it didn't seem that his mother was too bothered by it. I just sat there looking down at the floor and waiting for the heat to leave my face.

"There's also a full size closet attached to the bedroom," the girl spoke again, obviously disliking the subject of our current conversation. I just nodded.

Standing up from the bed, I wandered into the bathroom and glanced around. It was nicely cleaned and well lit. There was a shower and bathtub up against the wall and a rather large sink with lots of counter space. How much was this apartment going to be?!? This led on to other important academic questions…

"Hey, Mom?" I asked to get her attention. Hiro's mother looked over at me with a smile.

"Yes, dear?" she asked.

"Do you know how much money Hiro actually HAS? This seems like a rather expensive apartment…" I voiced my concern.

"You would be surprised, actually. It's not that badly priced for everything we offer," the girl commented.

"Really?" I asked her, slightly shocked. She just nodded. I glanced around the bathroom again before nodding. "Well… I definitely like it. Hiro has picked an excellent place for us," I added.

"Well… let's go and inform Hiro that this place will do nicely, then," Hiro's mother replied. I nodded and we exited the apartment. I couldn't wait to move in now. This would be great!

While walking back to the car, I glanced over at Hiro's mother again. "Do you like the apartment, Mom?" I asked. No more calling her Aunty, I guess… She nodded.

"As usual, my son's investigation skills are top notch," she replied.

"Do you actually know how much money Hiro has?" I asked again. She shook her head.

"It's been almost six years since he has let ME manage his bank account. One little mistake and I'm branded for life…" she remarks with a slight eye roll.

"What happened?" I asked, concerned.

"I accidentally locked over ninety percent of his money into a year long CD… He was rather upset with me, needless to say…" she replied. I can see how that upset him.

"So he manages his own money now?" I asked. She just nodded.

"Although it's probably safe to assume that he didn't realize he would be leaving with Akito's permission AND blessing," she commented. Huh?

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, confused.

"If he didn't have Akito's blessing then he would have to fund the entire wedding and the events surrounding it himself, since he pulled it as a surprise. Not to mention the wedding ring AND the engagement ring. Diamonds don't come cheap! He probably has at LEAST five digits in his account right now," she explained. My eyes widened considerably. Why hadn't I come to these conclusions!?! Why didn't I even blink when he withdrew two THOUSAND dollars from his account and actually acted like it was nothing?!? My head dropped slightly.

"Wow… I didn't know…" I managed to stutter out. Hiro's mother just smiled.

"Makes me wonder what he's going to do with all of the money now that he doesn't have to fund any of the wedding events," his mother pondered out loud. What WOULD he do with the money? Hiro wasn't stupid, so he would probably just keep saving it… My thought process was interrupted then.

"How long have you two been sleeping together?" Hiro's mother asked then. The question hit me off guard and my eyes widened, bringing heat back to my face. Hiro's mother noticed this and quickly added, "Um… In the same bed, I mean…"

After a couple seconds of recovery, I managed to reply, "Well… Remember the first time that I decided to spend the night?" I asked.

"You're kidding me! You two weren't even a couple then!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well it was an accident. We stayed up way too late watching Anime and both of us kind of fell asleep against each other," I explained. We started pulling into the driveway then.

"I had thought so… That must have been… interesting to wake up in the morning," she commented. I laughed, feeling slightly more relaxed.

"We had somehow slipped into each other's arms in the night and it was kind of embarrassing at first. Then I started examining my feelings and decided that I actually liked it. That's when I decided that I actually did LOVE Hiro and tried to tell him," I explained further. Hiro's mother had turned the car off but didn't seem in any hurry to get out so I just sat there.

"Did you actually tell him, though?" she asked. I shook my head.

"You came in just as I was about to tell him and announced that you were going on your convention trip," I informed her. Her eyes widened.

"Wow… I wouldn't have come in if I knew what you two were talking about," she commented.

"Well, we're engaged now, so I guess it didn't turn out too badly…" I joked. She laughed.

"So you two haven't actually, um…" she started but hesitated. Guessing at the subject matter, I quickly shook my head.

"We aren't quite THAT physical with each other yet. The furthest I've been was seeing him without clothes on…" I commented. Why am I talking about this with his mother?

"What?!?" Hiro's mother yelped, quickly looking over at me.

"Accident!" I quickly explained.

"Oh… Um… transformation?" she asked. I shook my head.

"My own stupidity…" I replied dryly. What WAS I thinking, anyway?

"What do you mean?" she asked, seemingly curious now.

"When we were at the hotel… I had just finished taking all of the bandages off his back so he could try his first shower after the accident. He left the door open so I walked in to see how he was doing. The upper portion of the shower curtain was clear so I could see him. He said that it actually was starting to feel good. I decided to be brave and sat down on the counter to chat with him a while," I explained. Hiro's mother just listened patiently so I continued, "After a little bit of talking I had to use the bathroom so I asked Hiro if it was alright. He said yes and turned around. After I used the bathroom, though, I stupidly flushed the toilet without thinking about it and he leapt out of the shower after screaming. I couldn't help myself except stare at him for the first couple of seconds. I quickly tried to turn around but found out I could see him in the mirror too. He finally grabbed a towel after I had collapsed into a little ball, covering my face," I finished. His mother was laughing by the time I was done. Why was I telling her all of these things? She was his MOTHER! It seemed like she didn't mind, though, and I felt that I could trust her. I needed... to talk to someone and Sis wasn't here...

"Did he mind?" she asked then. I shook my head. If I had been forced to explain that to Hiro's mother even two years ago I would have been curled up into an equally small ball by now… maybe Hiro WAS helping me.

"Well, no harm done, then," she replied. I nodded and we finally got out of the car.

After getting inside the house, I headed upstairs quietly. Hiro might be asleep and I didn't want to wake him after last night. Maybe I would even join him for a little bit… Peeking around the door to his room, I discovered that it was empty? Where did Hiro go? Rushing from room to room upstairs, I checked all of them. No Hiro anywhere! Rushing back downstairs, I started to look around. Hiro's mother gave me a questioning look then.

"I can't find Hiro anywhere!" I shouted to her.

"Calm down, Kisa! The stubborn boy probably just got bored and decided to wander. He should be fine, let's just wait a little bit," she reasoned. I nodded and sat down at the table…

* * *

**Success**

* * *

Walking back from the government building, I was admiring the new license in my wallet. On the written test I had achieved ninety-eight percent, which I felt was fairly good. I only lost two points on the actual driving test. I absolutely despise parallel parking; it was difficult enough to do when I wasn't tired! My scores were still enough to pass, however, so I was happy. Now I had to do is get a car… 

What should I do with the rest of my day? I most certainly wasn't going back to sleep now. I wondered what everyone else was up to. Another day at the beach would be cool. I would even offer to pay for everyone again. Walking up my walkway then, I went into the house. Kisa was sitting at the table chatting with my mother when I entered.

"…and we finally managed to escape the umbrella, only to find the entire beach empty of inhabitants. We got stuck there for the rest of the night!" Kisa just finished saying with a slight bit of laughter in her voice. Mother was completely cracked up and laughing with her head down on the table. My blood froze… Why was Kisa giving away our secret to Mother? How much else had she told her? I detected a very stern discussion coming in the future. I thought Kisa knew better than this… Maybe her mother was right and I WAS putting a little too much faith in her. Kisa had her back turned to me and Mother was too busy laughing with her head on the table. A flash of anger went through me so I excused myself back out the door before they noticed me.

Walking around the side of the house, I found one of my favorite stargazing rocks and lay down on it. It was positioned rather closely to the window so I could still hear what was being said.

"They actually accepted your tickets after they were dated?" Mother asked.

"Yeah. The girl that was working didn't even bother looking at them," Kisa replied.

"Momiji CAN be quite devious sometimes…" Mother commented.

"Yeah. Hiro says he actually looks up to his ability to plan ahead and deduce things," Kisa added. Thanks a lot, Kisa…

"I wouldn't have guessed from the way they act around each other," Mother replied. After a couple of minutes of silence she spoke again, "You said a little while ago that he found out you were on the pill?" she asked. What? Kisa told her that, too?!?

"Ha! Yeah… It was after we had just gotten a little frisky before bedtime and…" she started. Did she have no sense of integrity or loyalty whatsoever?!? Was there any intimate secret she WOULDN'T share?!? I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing. Kisa was sitting in my dining room discussing one of our most intimate moments with my MOTHER!!! What was wrong with her?!? "…so I showed him the case with the pills in it. He didn't seem to have a problem, though…" she finished.

"Well, that's good anyway. I would have thought he would be slightly shocked, though…" mother commented. I was…

"I'm pretty sure he was a little shocked," Kisa voiced my thought. There was a few more seconds of silence. "Please don't tell him that I've told you about all of these things… I don't really know why I'm telling you in the first place, though. I guess that I simply wanted your advice. They are kind of private, though…" Kisa spoke then. Of course they're private! Not that you had enough desire to keep them that way! Estimating at how much Mother knew now, I assumed she at least knew we were sleeping in the same bed. She probably found out about the shower accident in the hotel room, too. Just great... I wasn't going to hear the end of it now.

"Don't worry. This is girl talk, so it's just between us…" Mother replied. Yeah… and anyone else you decide is worthy of hearing about it! Anger boiled through me… If I couldn't trust my fiancée with my secrets, who could I trust?!? How could I keep my secrets completely safe? That's rather easy to solve… don't tell anyone, not even Kisa. My license achievement seemed so pathetic now. Kisa may be the bright light of my life... but she certainly knew how to ruin my day in seconds flat, too... Disgusted to the breaking point, I noticed that my hand was slightly numb. Glancing down at it let me notice that I had broken several rather large pieces out of the rock using targeted pressure. Shaking my head in disgust, I stood up and walked across the yard. I couldn't listen to this anymore!

"Hiro?!?" I heard shouted from inside. I must have walked past the window… Oops. A series of rapid footsteps later, I heard the front door open up. Listening to the footsteps, I could tell that Kisa had just rounded the corner of the house and stopped. She was probably watching me walk towards the tree outside my window.

"Hiro!" I heard shouted behind me but I ignored it. The footsteps started running towards me again so I sprinted the last ten feet to the tree. Kicking up the tree, I put my foot into the split in one of the branches and kicked off it. Casually catching the eve of the house, I used my forward momentum to flip onto the roof of the house near my window. It was still open so I slid inside. By now the footsteps were rushing back inside and up the stairs. I reached the door first and closed it in her face. Pushing the lock on it, I walked back over to the bed and lay down. After a few moments, I heard scratching at the door.

"Hiro… Let me in…" I heard Kisa beg. I didn't bother to respond… there wasn't much to respond to. I just needed some alone time.

"Hiro…" I heard from outside the door again. Sighing, I stood up from the bed and walked over to the door again.

"Why should I let you in…?" I asked though the door.

"Because I'm your fiancée and I love you…" Kisa replied in an attempted sweet voice. Sickening… after everything she had just said...

"I'm taking a temporary break right now and don't need you in here learning even more of my secrets so you can report them directly to my mother…" I explained snidely.

"…but, Hiro…" Kisa started.

"But nothing… You seemed to be perfectly happy gossiping with my mother until you noticed that I was here, so why don't you just pretend I'm still gone?" I replied before walking towards my bed again.

"Hiro! Please… I'm sorry for giving away our secrets, but she asked… She isn't upset or anything!" Kisa called though the door. I rolled my eyes then.

"That's not the point, Kisa…" I replied.

"Then what are you upset about?" she asked pleadingly.

"Can I really trust you enough to tell you?" I asked snidely. There was a sharp intake of breath followed by several stifled sobs. After a few seconds I hear another voice.

"Hiro! Stop it! You're being unreasonable… It's perfectly ok if she tells me because I won't tell anybody else and I might be able to help," Mother said then. I snorted. How did I guess she was eavesdropping?

"Again you completely miss my point. Some secrets I had hoped would be sacred enough for her not to tell ANYONE!" I replied. The last word shook my window across the room. Audible crying started to sound though the door.

"Please, Hiro… Take it easy on her. She just let the first one slip in the apartment and it flowed from there. She's new at this so she can make a few mistakes… right?" Mother reasoned. It didn't take the hurting away but there was no countering it.

"How do I trust that she won't give away my future secrets, then…?" I replied calmly.

"I won't, Hiro! I didn't know that you didn't want me to tell anyone!" Kisa exclaimed in between sobs. I just shook my head.

"Try using common sense every once in a while, then…" I retorted. There was silence after this.

"I… I'm s… sorry, Hiro…" Kisa apologized again. She was starting to sound like Ritsu… She continued, though, "From now on... just tell me when a secret should be... kept from everyone…"

"I shouldn't have to…" I replied. More sniffing from the hallway…

"I… I know but… I can't… seem to… tell…" I heard between sobs again. So pathetic… Walking over to the door, I slowly and quietly undid the lock, not that I had to because most noise was drown out by the crying. Walking back over to the window, I slid out of it and made my way in thought the front door. I guess I could try to trust her again. I couldn't take anymore of her crying though. Every instinct in my body was screaming at me to comfort her when she started crying. It was… difficult to resist and my anger was fading now. It was really the only thing that had stopped me from rushing out before.

Walking inside, I headed upstairs quietly and slipped in beside Mother. After many years of living with Mother, I have come to note that her peripheral vision is pathetic when she's upset or focusing on something. Sitting down in the hallway beside them, I lean against the wall and watch Kisa crying against the door.

"Please, Hiro… Give me one more chance… I will learn quickly what information I should tell people and what I shouldn't… Please…" she begged into the door. I looked down slightly. Would she learn? I hoped so… I didn't like seeing her like this and got more than a little guilty. "Please let me in, Hiro…" she continued briefly. I couldn't resist any longer.

"The door has been unlocked for quite a while if you really want to get into my room so badly," I commented. Mother's head almost hit the ceiling. Kisa shot bolt upright from the door and spun to look at me in the hallway. She looked so sad that I couldn't help myself. I smiled at her with a slightly warm tint to the smile. Kisa's eyes widened almost instantly and she quickly crawled across the five foot distance that separated us. Very much resembling the tiger she was, she pounced the last two feet and tackled me against the wall. Cuddling into me completely, she started placing kisses on my cheeks and nose.

"I'm so sorry, Hiro! I didn't mean to, but they just slipped out and your mother didn't care, so I…" she started to rapidly explain. I put a finger to her lips.

"It's fine, Kisa. I forgive you… Just show a little restraint before sharing our most intimate moments with my mother from now on…" I explained. Kisa turned slightly pink. Mother just chuckled. She pulled the knob on the door and it slid open completely. She turned back to me, shaking her head.

"I'm not even going to ask how you did that, Hiro…" she commented. I just smiled. "Well I'm going to make myself some lunch. You two can come down for some too after you make up…" she added as she walked down the stairs. By the time she reached the bottom I had already pulled out a tissue and was wiping Kisa's eyes. She just sighed and melted into me. Her warmth felt good so I pulled her closer. For a while we just sat there. I glanced down at her in a couple minutes and noticed that she was looking at the silver ring on her left hand. Smiling, I reached down and took the hand in mine. She looked up at me then but I just watched her hand. Slowly, I was stroking the top of it with my thumb. She put her head onto my chest.

"Proof that I'm yours…" she said after a little bit.

"Kisa…" I replied.

"Even though I don't deserve it…" she added. I wrapped both arms around her and pulled her close again.

"You most definitely deserve it. You have been everything to me for so long… I was overjoyed when you agreed to marry me. I could finally stop being afraid…" I commented, almost to myself.

"Afraid?" she asked softly.

"That was the absolute worst. The horrible fear. It started as thinking Haru would get you first… That was childish I now realize," I started.

"Hatsuharu is more of a big brother to me…" Kisa started to explain but I ignored it.

"After that came the fear of your words. If I let you know how I actually felt about you…" I continued.

"Well you know my feelings are the same as yours now," she replied with a smile.

"And then there came the fear that you would forget me in favor of your friends. Haru helped me a lot with that one," I explained further.

"I should really thank him for that…" Kisa commented to herself mainly.

"Finally the fear got desperate and tried to tell me that you only had needed me for protection and confidence… That almost ended so badly…" I dropped off there, unable to say anything else. Kisa's hand brushed my cheek. That gave me the courage to continue, "Kisa… You're my Tiger Lily Angel. Everything in my life revolves around you. I love you with all of my heart and you proved that you love me too. Not only by agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me, but also by willing to die with me…" I couldn't continue. All I could see was their shocked faces as we fell backwards into the chaos of the night's storm. The vision broke apart when I felt Kisa's lips pressed into mine.

"Leave it behind you. I felt so many similar things… I thought for the longest time that I loved you, too… But then I thought you were in love with Rin… Now I realize that it was similar to what you thought about Haru and me. I didn't know how to tell you. I tried the morning after we woke up together, but your mother interrupted…" she explained. So many revelations hit me that I just smiled. She continued, "…but we found each other eventually and now we have our entire life ahead of us to share. Nothing seems more… correct," she finished.

Standing up then, Kisa followed me, still cuddling. Lifting her completely off the ground, I walked down the stairs with her. Mother just smiled over at us.

"What's this about a Tiger Lily Angel, by the way?" Kisa asked after we were finished with lunch.

"It's a project I have been working on for a little while now. It's on my computer if you want to see it," I explained. Kisa nodded happily so we made our way upstairs to my laptop and turned it on. Kisa's face assaulted me again and the actual Kisa laughed behind me.

"That's really cool! How did you make the pictures all show at the same…" she stopped when her eyes made it to the lower right bikini picture. She glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow but I quickly found something else to look at on the other side of the room… "And here I thought for a while that you weren't interested in me like that…" she teased.

"We all have our moments…" I commented softly. Her eyes widened but I continued before she could say anything, "Do you want to see the project now?" She nodded so I clicked on the file on my desktop.

The picture appeared of the tree our meadow. The sun was just setting above the tree and I was leaning against the trunk. My eyes were angled upward, as if to look into heaven itself and a faint image of Kisa was in front of me, smiling. She was wearing her beautiful flowing yellow dress and had golden wings extending out her back. We stood amidst a tempest of equally golden feathers. Across the top, above the sun was written in flowing orange writing, "The Tiger Lily Angel." It had taken me literally hours to perfect the picture to the way I had wanted it.

Glancing back over at Kisa, I noted that she was just gazing at the picture. A smile started to play across her lips and her eyes got watery again. Instinctively, I reached into a pocket and withdrew a tissue for her. She dabbed at her eyes while she stared. "It's beautiful, Hiro… Can you print a copy for me?" she asked softly. Soon she was holding a copy on actual photo paper in her hands. "I have to show this to your mother!" she exclaimed as she rushed out of the room. Chuckling, I finally realized how tired I was. Shutting the laptop off, I walked back to my bed and lay down.

After a few minutes, Kisa returned with the print and set it down on her bag. She glanced over at me on the bed and smiled. I returned it so she walked over and lay down next to me. For a while we didn't say anything.

"Remember the book I was writing in last night?" she asked. I just nodded so she went on, "That was actually my diary, if you hadn't guessed as much already," she explained.

"Your mother told me when I picked it up," I informed her.

"Did you read any of it?" she asked. I was slightly hurt but shook my head.

"Aww… I was almost hoping you would. My grandmother gave the book to me when I entered third grade. Two weeks into third grade the teasing got so bad that I almost had decided to stop going. Then you entered my life and made everything better again. No one wanted to mess with me when I had my 'boyfriend' with me. I wrote extensively in my journal about you and the odd effects you seemed to have on my being teased. The book's almost out of pages now. It will probably only last until my graduation from High School…" she explained. I was a little surprised when she started crying again. "I had said to my grandmother that I was going to proudly walk up and show her the completed book when I graduated. She told me that it would make her the happiest person in the world… but I can't now…" she stopped there. The tears were running down her cheeks. I pulled her into me slightly and she buried her face in my chest. After a few moments she looked back up at me, smiling. "I was going to give it to her after it was done but I have made a different decision now… I want you to have it," she added. My eyes widened in shock.

"Kisa… I don't need to read your personal thoughts to know how you feel about me," I replied.

"I know. I just want you to know how I felt… every day of my life. It will show you how much you have actually helped me. It might redeem my past actions a little too…" she explained.

"You're already redeemed in my eyes, Kisa. We can talk about this more later though. What do you want to do in the meantime?" I asked.

"Well… Hanging out with you and watching Anime is always nice," she said playfully. I nodded…

We watched Anime in my room until supper at six. After supper we managed to get two more movies in before I was completely burnt out. Watching the final Anime, I glanced over at Kisa. She was sitting contently on my right, watching the screen with a smile on her face. My right eye kept sagging though and I couldn't seem to keep my eyes open. The Anime finally finished, though, and I turned the DVD player and the TV off. Kisa glanced over at me then.

"You seem really sleepy," she commented after examining my expression.

"Sleeping in tomorrow is my top priority…" I replied. Kisa giggled.

"Then we had best get a head start on it…" Kisa answered. After a couple seconds of silence, she continued, "Want to change me like you did a couple nights ago…?" she added with a laugh. I just smiled at her.

The blankets were already to our waist level. Kisa just slid down into the blankets and looked up at me with a smile. Hearing footsteps in the hallway, I pretended to be just turning the TV off. Mother entered the room and smiled at us.

"Ready for bed, you two?" she asked softly. We both nodded. Mother walked over to the bed then and… tucked us in?!? Kisa's face turned a slight pink color and I just gawked at Mother… She gave us a questioning look for a couple seconds before responding, "What?!? You want me to get the bedding, make the couch up completely… just for her to spend five minutes on it before sneaking over to your bed?" Kisa looked towards her feet, her face shifting from pink to scarlet. I just averted my gaze. "As I thought… Have a good night sleep!" she called before turning out the lights…

After a couple moments of darkness, I felt rustling beside me. Adjusting my eyes to the dark, I noticed that Kisa was now down to her underwear. Deciding that it was a good idea, I reduced myself to just boxers. After I finished dropping my clothes to the floor and lay back down, Kisa cuddled into my side again. Rotating back onto my side, I touch down on the pillow again just in time to be greeted by Kisa's mouth. After several seconds of kissing, Kisa finally broke it and smiled at me. After everything that happened today, I think I finally understand her a little better. It will probably be a bumpy road ahead of us, but we'll get through it! Nuzzling into her neck then, I let myself drift away to her giggling…

* * *

**Chapter 17 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Okay... I'm sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out for starters. Summer started and I was swept up in lethargy and took a notable hiatus from writing. My inspirational muse took a vacation and the creativity well ran dry briefly. I'm back at it now though. This one has NOT went to my editor yet however, but I wanted to get it posted to not make you guys wait. I'll still ask her to proof it when she has time, but she's become very busy over the summer and I didn't want to stress her out. If she does proof it in the future, I'll replace her changes in the chapter. So don't expect this one to be as edited and corrected as much as the others... but its here anyway. Oy.

This was an adorable chapter, anyway. This is the official end of the arc I was working on. I don't think I'll go into the next arc right away as I have a lot of things to do in the last month before I go back to school, but I'll still amuse you guys with a little... uh... fanfiction filler? If such a thing exists... As a side note, Ayame is difficult but very fun to include in a story. He's much easier to write in than Ritsu, however.

A few things about the next arc, though. The next arc is most definitely where the supernatural comes in, although I'm considering changing it to more "action/adventure" than supernatural. Yes, its nature is supernatural, but it's used mostly in an action/adventure manner. Hmm. Well I'll consider it. Also, the rating will probably go up to M reasonably fast. This may be just a precaution right off the bat, but I don't want anything unfortunate to happen to my story as I have nowhere else to put it... -sniffle-

Just a few warnings. The rating change will mostly be because of a few... questionable scenes... but I might decide to suddenly take my censor off the language too. Hmm. Guess I'll need to think about that, too. Also, I can't decide if I like Kyo or Yuki better with Tohru, so I've given up on deciding and am now taking votes. Let me know, okay? It will give even more incentive to review, ne? -winks-

Well I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. So until my next posting! Nya!

-Angsty Tiger

**Individual Review Responses:**

**ronandhermy: **-laughs- I've seen worse sentences. Ah well. I liked that ending scene as well! It was quite fun to write about reactions. I love reactions. And yes, Hiro does get pummeled a lot for Kisa but he just really loves her! Err... or is masochistic... but it's more romantic the other way. -tears- And no, I haven't managed to see the scans of the last few chapters yet. I'm still attempting but I just haven't managed to find the time. Oy... Well I hope you got a kick out of everyone's reactions this time around! Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! -smiles

**lightningstrxu: **-laughs- Sorry for making you wait so long for this chapter, then! And believe it or not, I started writing this fanfiction long before I started watching Bleach. I almost died when those names all popped up, believe me! ACK! I AM a fan though so I'll definitely have to check out your fics when I get the time. Thanks for reviewing though! I value every review I get and it inspires me to write more, when I know that people are getting entertainment from it. Hope you are entertained by this one too!

**Arc Knight: **Wow! Thank you! I try to make sure it's top quality but I know of the effect that you speak of. This chapter had a little drama, but you'll probably have to wait a little ways for the next burst. You'll have to live through a few posts of filler first. Heh. It then gets really crazy, so you should have fun. Thank you for reviewing however and I hope you like this chapter as well!

**Duel Soul: **Hmm. That's a tough question. If I try really hard and know where I'm going ahead of time, I can usually get a healthy twenty five pages done to my liking in about three hours. I rarely am that focused however. And yes, I liked the proposal as well. It was adorable. The next arc might get a little... violent though so... yeah. And yeah, I'm trying to display that Kisa is indeed changing as well. It's hard to do with her, though. Hiro's easier to read. Heh. And yes, I purposely don't use her name as you're correct that she's not very well known. Plus, it's not really needed as the story is usually from the point of view of someone that's close to her. Someone that close isn't going to be using her name either, but referring to relation with her instead. Heh... but you'll have to wait for that "something new" for a little while still. I'd estimate chapter nineteen or twenty is where things get messy. So look forward to that then. -winks- Thank you again for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter!

**Renia The Weirdo: **Aww! You haven't? Believe it or not, it's one of my favorite phrases... -shifty eyes- And yeah, Hiro thought he was going to be interrupted too. I was considering going into this long and dramatic scene where ninja assassins dropped from the ceiling and he had to kill them all, only for him to snap back into reality and that's just what he's imagining, but I thought that would be weird... -blink blink- And I'm ALWAYS a perfect little angel! -smile of faux innocence- Wait... shouldn't have emoted the faux part. Ah well. Thank you again for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

**Anonymous: **Wow. I can't imagine what you're going to say after I've taken this long. Oh noes! I apologize again for my lag in posting. The only issue with your theory is that by the time I reply with all of your hints, it IS the next chapter and the hints are wasted. Hmm... I suppose I could give you vague hints about the NEXT one. Hmm. Sparkly things, piercing flesh with sharp and pointy things, sensual massages, sandwiches, Mori, and a poke. Is that enough to catch your interest? -grin- And you just HAD to remind me that it was Easter the last time I updated... -sigh- Ah well. Here's the new one! Hope you enjoy it as well. Thank you for your review! Maybe you should get an account soon, just in case someone else doesn't come along and start leaving them like that too. That would get terribly confusing. -blinks-

**Daolon: **... You scary... -gulps- Don't hurt me!!! -cries- Here's the next one... and sorry for the delay. It was only about... three months this time. The next one should be faster... -tears- And yes, she does have a minor naughty side. You'll definitely see it in the next one, heh... -ponders his rating once again- Um... err... anyway. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as well! -smiles- Just... don't hurt me... -tears again-

**egocentric-theorem: **Heh... yuppers. I have to make Hiro happy at least once a year lest he simply kill himself... or attempt to again. -blink blink- And yes, I have the entire story planned out over multiple arcs. The filler won't be very long though. And definitely not like that ridiculous Naruto one! Gah! But don't get me started on THAT... The Dark Prince arc is next and brutally gruesome. That's mostly where my rating comes in, aside from a few questionable scenes of course. I forgot that I enjoy writing however so the next few postings should be reasonably fast. Heh. Thanks for reviewing again and I do hope you like this chapter as well, the end to a great, angsty arc. -sniffles-

**Black-Spaz-Lover: **

1. Yes, I have at least read up to that point in the manga. The only downside to this is that it forces me to put the disclaimer up, but oh well. It's worth it for realism.

2. I know of what you mean about Kyo and Yuki. Yuki did mentally say, and tell loudmouth whom I forget his name all the time, that he only thinks of Tohru like that... but Hiro is yet to realize this. This is how Hiro is assuming until told otherwise... provided the vote goes that way. I'm putting you down for Kyo x Tohru vote, as a side note. -chuckles-

3. Um... you confuse me greatly. I never watched that but you intrigue me enough to look it up... and now I laugh. I drew the name at random because I felt like having a more... English representation in the fanfiction. I'm not sure if I could picture him as... French though. -wobbles-

4. Well I thank you for reviewing anyway and I hope you continue to enjoy all future chapters. -smiles-

**TatianaSaphira: **Aww! Thank you! People enjoying the story is what really makes me want to continue. I love to entertain people and every review I get is just, most of the time, proof that I'm succeeding. It's a good feeling to make peoples happy. You're year of the tiger too?!? Wow! I'm a fire tiger which means I'm twenty one. I'm going to guess that you're equal to my age or older as one more stage of the tiger forward and you'd be... nine to ten years old... -smiles- But of course, Tohru would have to be portrayed in that image as it IS from Hiro's perspective. -grins- Well I love to get new reviewers and I'm glad you're entertained by the story! I hope you like this chapter just as much, if not more! -smiles again-

**Ninde-chan: **Hullo! Thank you for liking the story! Yes, I'm striving towards showing their personalities altering. They're older than they were in the manga, yes. This makes it easier to explain their personality changes as well as making sure people don't think I'm a pedophile or something. -blink blink- I've obviously shown the Haru x Rin cannon to some extent but I'm leaving it up to vote for the most popular one. I'm interested in what others think as well. I can't make up my mind so it should be interesting to see how much the story can be altered by the readers this time. Hehe! I do hope you enjoy this chapter just as much, and I thank you for reviewing! -smiles- Hope you review next chapter as well.

**Red Shagging Couch: **Um... wow. Just... wow. I'll admit that part of the reason I decided to break my hiatus now instead of at the end of summer as I was initially planning was the sheer shock of getting sixteen reviews in a day and a half. It made me feel even guiltier and my conscience started to get out its blade collection that rivals my own... so yeah. I'm amused that you turned every chapter into its own arc though. I'm giving them a little break now for a while, but yes, this story is mostly a tribute to the fluff and cuteness that is Hiro and Kisa. I'll admit that I, like so many others, started off not liking Hiro as well. I realized the strength of his inner feelings for Kisa however and decided that I must strive to show the world that they truly belong together. That's my mission with this tribute! -stands triumphantly in front of fireworks while doing a victory pose- -...then slips on chocolate chip cookie and falls on face- ... Oooh, cookie. -munches while laying there- Well you get my point... and don't worry, there's a little hypocrite in everyone. -smiles happily- I'm glad you like this chapter... and every other chapter since the first... and I hope you like the seventeenth just as well!!! -pants- Woot! I look forward to yet another review. -hopes as he finishes his cookie- Thank you!


	18. Moving In

* * *

**Chapter 18 – Moving In **

* * *

That first week passed so quickly... Kisa stayed with me almost constantly, following me from place to place like a little chick. After everything that had happened in the past, this was pure bliss as far as I was concerned. Maybe I'm overprotective and, some would say a little possessive, but I love her. There's nothing more natural in the world for me than just being in her presence. 

We went to the beach again on Thursday. It was even more fun than the last time, and we had a bigger group as well. At least I didn't have to pay for EVERYONE this time! Plus it had to be an improvement over being trapped in a beach chair all night... I forget the "official" reasons for the trip. Momiji was spouting off something about it being in celebration of our engagement and Kisa moving in with me... but I rarely pay that much attention to him in the first place. Kisa seemed to have fun, anyway.

Kisa surprised me, though, and on Friday, she asked me to take her back to her mother's house. I could guess any number of reasons why she wanted the escort. She didn't want to let me out of her sight? She wanted a buffer between her and her mother, just in case? She enjoyed my company? Chances are, it was all three...

It went better than expected. Her mother apologized for everything she had said and acknowledged that Kisa was in charge of her own life now. It was a little shaky at points, but they seemed to be on better terms afterwards. The results left me breathing a sigh of relief, anyway.

I shook my head and dropped the last of the bags onto the floor. Kisa was the cause of a lot of Kisa's problems, I noticed. I'm not here to control her, though, just support her when she needs me. Her mother was still taking the fundamentally wrong approach to the "problem", in my opinion. But that wasn't in my realm of influence either, so it was pointless speculating.

As I stood up again, my back gave several, throbbing complaints to my brain. I sighed contently, however. Looking around the room, I smiled at all the bags I had transferred to the apartment today. Sure, they weren't actually unpacked, but they were transported here, which was half the work.

One may ask why I'm so sore, even. I shook my head in silent scorn of myself. Why did I have the strange inability to say no to anything Kisa requested? My aforementioned wish to not restrain her in any way probably had something to do with it, but she also had been unnaturally… dependant upon me recently and I felt it was probably good for her to hang out with her friends too. I closed my eyes briefly and remembered this morning.

Kisa had come wandering down the stairs carrying her open cell phone. She was giving me that timid smile I had fallen in love with so long ago. Her eyes spoke quite clearly that she wanted something, however. She always got the cutest glimmer in them. She then informed me that she had been talking to Mori and Inoue. They invited her to a shopping excursion and she had wanted to go, simply in the interest of catching up with them. As this is the first time she'd expressed any desire to leave my presence in over a week, I was a little surprised, but hardly concerned.

She seemed happy that I had said yes, but I really don't know why she had bothered asking. I'm hoping she realized by now that I'm not going to restrict her. Plus, the second she adds any cute smile or physical closeness in any form, I'm sold to anything she requests.

I chuckled and opened my eyes again. The chuckle made me slightly dizzy though. Oops. Perhaps I had overdone it a little? I sat down on the bed to recover. I'd made many, many trips to the apartment today with my bike loaded with our belongings. Even though I had my license, I lacked a car to drive in the first place. Of course, I hadn't exactly informed Kisa that I was going to move the stuff today… but the way she looked at me so pleadingly, I didn't have the heart to ruin it for her.

Of course, I hadn't considered that Mother was also going to be gone. By the fourth trip on my bike or so, I wanted to lie down in the road and simply die there from exhaustion. Pull yourself together, Hiro! Kisa was depending on you to get this stuff put away so this was no time to be a whiny wuss!

I managed to cool off a little and looked about. I still had everything to put away, too. Not cool. It took most of my energy to get it all over here to begin with. My stomach agreed with me about then by releasing a low, almost ten second growl. When had I last eaten? With a glance, the clock told me that it was three thirty in the afternoon. Okay, so if I last ate breakfast at seven thirty, shortly after I got up, that made it… eight hours since I last ate. I had considered lunch but simply never gotten to going somewhere to eat. Fixing myself food was almost a surefire disaster, so I'd have to eat out.

The room darkening interrupted my thoughts, though. Well, this was poorly planned. I sighed once more as I fell backwards into a laying position. Maybe I'd just… take a small nap… here. The ceiling faded into darkness…

* * *

**Shopping (Mis?)Adventures**

* * *

Leaning up against the wall near the display glass, I watched the two professionals at work. Mori was sifting through the racks with almost inhuman speed while Inoue cheered her on, giving her opinion each time Mori found an interesting outfit. This whole thing was kind of bewildering and I'd only done it once or twice in the past. I thought shopping was for necessity but they seem to give it some kind of entertainment value. 

"Hey, Kisa! Check out this shirt," Mori suddenly called out, drawing my attention out of my thoughts. She was holding a hot-pink tank top that was more than a little painful to look at. It had "Angel" written on it in cute lettering, coupled with a halo over the "A" even. The neckline was a little… low for my standards, but I nodded to Mori anyway. Everyone had their style, I guess.

Hiro did too, now that I thought about it. He had certainly added a darker side to his wardrobe. His punk looks were… more than a little hot, though, so I wasn't complaining terribly. It got us a lot of stares due to our clashing colors, but I didn't care.

I sighed. Hiro was so nice to me sometimes. He didn't even have to think about it. He had simply said yes to my shopping trip without batting an eye. Was Mother right? Was I suffocating him? I doubt it. With as little attention I used to give him, my "boyfriend", I doubt he had any trouble at all with my new outlook on life.

Of course, I wasn't expecting him to insist that I take a hundred dollars with me at least. I had expected to just watch Inoue and Mori, just catching up with them. He said that it wouldn't be a shopping trip if I didn't at least buy something, however. Nothing seemed all that interesting, though. Maybe I just felt guilty for needing his money? We got an allowance from the main house each month but I had spent mine prior to the accident. From what I gathered, Hiro obsessed over micromanaging his money in various high interest accounts. I'm not nearly organized enough to do that, though, and run out of money quite often. Did Hiro really… deserve me?

"Kisa. What's wrong? You haven't spent a thing yet and you look like you just watched a kitten get run over by a dump truck…" Inoue suddenly asked, seemingly concerned. It snapped me out of my daze successfully and I looked over at her. "Don't you have any money on you?" she asked, quietly, as if it were somehow taboo to ask. She was always cautious like that…

I shook my head weakly. "No, I have enough money on me. Hiro insisted that I take some along, seeing as I kind of spent all mine already," I explained, sighing.

Mori stopped her maddening search for clothing long enough to turn around and give me a skeptical look. "Okay, so what's the problem?" she asked in a blatant manner.

"Well… it feels wrong to spend Hiro's money on something trivial, if that makes sense. I'd feel guilty if I… just got things for myself," I tried to explain, probably failing horribly.

Mori snorted. "There's nothing wrong with spending the money, Kisa," she informed in a somewhat impatient manner. Easy for you to say… Inoue rolled her eyes.

"Look. Nobody says you have to spend all of the money, Kisa. Hiro might feel bad if you don't buy anything, though," she reasoned. Yeah. He'd think that I didn't enjoy myself and somehow find a way to blame himself. I definitely don't want that to happen. Of course, I probably should have remembered to at least invite him. He probably wouldn't have wanted to come, but it's the thought that counts.

I shook my head. "I should have remembered to at least invite him along," I scolded myself out loud.

Mori laughed again. "Oh please. I'm sure he would have been highly entertained watching us shop. This really isn't a guy thing unless they're getting something out of it. Besides, I'm sure he has all kinds of secretive things to do while you're gone…" She trailed off the last portion, tilting her head to the side as if imagining.

I think my eyes widened again. "We don't keep secrets from each other! What could he possibly have to do that I couldn't know about?" I asked defensively.

"Well you two aren't that physical yet, if I recall. He might have even invited another…" Mori started to reason, getting a whimsical tone of voice. Okay. Now my eyes were definitely as wide as they could get. Inoue interrupted her with a sideways shove, though, turning the rest of the speculation into a yelp instead.

"Don't listen to her, Kisa. I'm sure he's just doing something he usually does in secret. Like setting up another romantic date, or planning things for the wedding, right?" she asked me, reasonable sounding as usual. That did sound a little more like Hiro and I nodded, breathing out softly. Mori always makes me jump to dangerous conclusions. I should really start taking her less seriously…

"Besides, he wanted you to have fun on this outing. If you sat around the entire time worrying about him, do you really think you're accomplishing that very well?" Inoue continued, snapping me out of my inner debate yet again.

Mori nodded in agreement for once. "She has a point. Besides, if you're so worried about spending his money, get him a present too," she recommended. I considered a little before nodding.

"That's probably a good idea, but what should I get him? Most of the things he likes are a little on the expensive side. I can't exactly buy him a car or anything," I pouted, a little frustrated at myself still.

Mori grinned and I suddenly got extremely worried. "I know what you could get him as a gift; his favorite thing in the entire world, of course. Yourself," she offered, face betraying the terribly cruel amusement underneath.

Heat rushed to my cheeks almost instantly. "Um… what? H…How do I do that?" I asked cautiously. Inoue skeptically looked to Mori and nodded, as if silently asking the same thing.

Mori shook her head sadly and looked down, muttering something about us having no imaginations. "You get something that will improve your appearance. Not only will you look even cuter than usual, but it also serves to improve your self image," Mori explained upon looking back up again.

I nodded carefully but Inoue's eyes widened. "Your mother said no more tattoos this time, Mori!" she warned rapidly. A TATTOO?!? My heart skipped a beat and I almost died right then and there in the mall! Mother and Hiro would both kill me when they found out! Mori just started laughing.

"No, no. Not this time. Besides, yours was cute. At least they got the colors right for you. I was thinking something a little less permanent this time, though. Come on!" she replied, emphasizing the last part by grabbing my arm and hauling me along at a running pace! I let out a startled yelp. Inoue did too and followed rapidly after us…

Mori finally stopped in front of the beauty parlor and looked their price listings over. "So what do you think, Inoue? Should we get her ears pierced? What about her bellybutton? Her tongue would be kind of cute, but I heard those hurt…" Mori brainstormed while my blood froze over.

"No! I'm not going to get my bellybutton or tongue or…" I started to protest.

Inoue interrupted me however by gesturing towards the side of my head. "Your ears would definitely look cute pierced, though. Hiro might accept that a lot easier than the bellybutton or tongue, right?" she reasoned, once again. This was crazy! Was I actually considering this?!

I sighed. "But… I don't know… What if…" I started, weakly.

"Excellent! It's decided then! Ear piercing, a facial, and then a massage to boost the ego!" she proclaimed triumphantly, hauling me inside. I groaned inwardly as we went. Why did I have a feeling that this was going to be a little expensive?

It seemed like hours later by the time they had helped me clean up the facial creams. Sticking metal through the lower parts of my ears didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would, though. It was a little embarrassing stripping down to just a towel for my massage. Thankfully they had a female do it… I must have been really tense as it started feeling really good after a while.

Then I woke up… My face flushed immediately as I realized that I must have fallen asleep on the table. The masseuse seemed to take it as a compliment, anyway. I quickly got dressed again and wandered out into the main area in somewhat of a daze. Things move quickly when I'm around Mori and sometimes not in the direction I like. I especially noticed this after I got my bill and realized that I spent almost all of Hiro's money. Great… This better make him happy or Mori would suffer!

I was still growling when they wandered back in to get me five minutes later. They seemingly went shopping while I was getting pampered into various stages of unconsciousness. I grew slightly concerned then, as I had no idea how much time had passed. "What time is it?" I asked as they wandered in.

"Five thirty. Don't worry. Still a half an hour before Hiro picks you up…" Mori informed, smirking. I glared at her irritably. She must have detected the concern in my voice. Fine…

Mori snatched my bill, though, and glanced at it in amusement, ignoring my squawk of protest. "Hey, you still have some money left! Why don't we get your hair done, too!" she exclaimed in an energetic fashion, followed by, "We can get those weird bangs chopped off. Then Hiro wouldn't be able to keep his hands off you!" As much as that concept appealed to me, I couldn't possibly agree.

"No! I couldn't spend ALL of the money! Besides, Hiro likes my longer side bangs…" I defended with a hint of affection towards the last part. I gave the left one a slide stroke as I pouted slightly. I'd had the same haircut since elementary school but Hiro adored playing with them so I didn't dare cut them off. Well… I wore my hair a little longer than I did back then… but the basic style hadn't changed.

Mori made a brief pouting motion before smiling once again. "Okay… how about we get you some new underwear? That'll drive Hiro really wild!" she concluded randomly. I couldn't help it and started laughing, followed rapidly by Inoue.

"Hiro's not like THAT! Besides, he has no complaints with my current underwear, so…" I started to explain before realizing what I was saying. My face flushed again as Mori started laughing and Inoue's eyes bugged out. Whatever… Hiro valued me for more than my body, so… Then I thought of the image of me in a bikini on his desktop and blushed more. Maybe he WOULD like that? No… One shock a day is enough. I put the thought on file for later.

Snapping out of my inner thoughts, I realized that Mori had been talking the entire time! Oops… "…and then all you have to do is put on a little dance for him! Sway the hips and slowly slip your finger under the…" she… continued? I didn't want to know what the first part was, I decided. Inoue was bright scarlet and shaking her head rapidly.

"No! That's not what I meant!" she exclaimed rapidly, desperately wanting to shut Mori up. Several shoppers were giving us weird looks by then and a few boys nearby started whispering. Mori was so embarrassing! At least the "explanation" wasn't directed at me, based on Inoue's reaction.

"Let's just go…" I muttered in utter horror, walking past both of them and towards the exit of the mall. I sat down outside and idly watched the sun go down as I calmed myself. A few seconds later, Mori and Inoue joined to my right. My ears itched…

Mori suddenly perked and dug into one of the many bags she had. After a few seconds of rummaging, she withdrew a small box and extended it towards me. "Um… we got you these…" she explained. My curiosity stirred. I took the box and cracked it open, slowly lifting the lid. Inside was a pair of beautiful stud earrings! They sparkled in the sunset and the gems were a light pink color. Mori looked down slightly after I opened the box. "I know that I kind of… forgot your birthday last year so that's a belated present, okay?" she furthered, slightly sad.

I looked away from the earrings and smiled at her. No matter what, Mori was a friend and definitely wished the best for me. "Thank you, Mori! They're beautiful!" I exclaimed, hugging her suddenly. She seemed briefly stunned but rapidly recovered and started smiling again.

"Hey, what are friends for? Now all you have to do is act adorable for Hiro and brighten his day up. He's probably in system shock by now, being away from you for so long!" she teased. She seemed a little embarrassed by my sudden gratitude.

Inoue laughed. "Yeah. He's used to you not straying more than twenty feet from him now. He must be going nuts by now…" she agreed, smiling. I laughed and nodded.

After a few minutes I opened the box again and took out the earrings. It took me a few seconds, but I eventually managed to properly put them into my ears. It felt a little weird. Inoue nodded towards me. "They look quite cute," she informed me.

"I only hope Hiro likes them too," I wished. This could either be really good, or really bad.

Mori let out a low growl. "You have to start paying less attention to what he wants and get what YOU want instead! For crying out loud. Allow yourself to have a little more fun," she muttered irritably. My blood started to boil… She was so clueless!

"That's all I've been doing so far! I only paid attention to myself and totally ignored him completely! That's why I was really surprised when he asked me to marry him… Most normal boys probably would have hated a girl if she did what I did but… Hiro still loves me with everything he has, though, so isn't it his turn to be treated nicely? Shouldn't I give him all the attention now?! When can I make him feel as special as he's made me feel?!? When can I… save his life… his existence…? Just like he's saved mine so many times! I… just can't repay him… no matter how much…" My voice failed me as my anger shifted to sadness instead. Warmth flowed down my cheeks so I tucked myself into my knees.

Complete silence came from my right. After a few seconds, I felt them resting on each shoulder, patting my back. "Hiro did all of those things because he loves you, Kisa. He isn't expecting you to keep a running count and would probably save you a thousand more times without a second thought…" Inoue spoke gently. I sighed.

After I regained some of my composure, I unfurled again. "I know he isn't expecting anything in return, but I would like to give him something…" I muttered irritably. This was so frustrating!

Mori shrugged. "Well if you could somehow get the funds, you could treat him to a vacation for a change. A private, romantic getaway for just the two of you would be ideal. He'd probably love it," she recommended. I sighed in a discontent manner.

"Chances are, we'll be married by the time I get that much money. I only wish I had half of what Hiro's saved up!" I pouted. My eyes widened half a second after the last word exited my mouth! Oops! That was probably one of the secrets that Hiro told me not to tell anyone!

"I kind of thought he was on the wealthy side," Mori teased, playfully speculating. I groaned and tucked my face into my knees again. Hiro was going to be so upset with me!

Inoue nodded absently while seeming to zone out. "Well yeah. If he could afford a real diamond for Kisa's engagement ring…" she deduced. I felt like dying.

"Point. I only hope that my future fiancé can afford one…" Mori wished in a dreamy tone.

Inoue raised an eyebrow to her. "Mori. He wouldn't be your fiancé if he couldn't," she pointed out. I resisted laughing.

Mori lost her dreamy look and stared blankly ahead for a few seconds before simply nodding. "Yeah, you're probably right. Well, unless I can find my true love like Kisa has…"

I smiled contently. Hiro was my true love? Yes. He most definitely was. He's been the only boy I've cared about for so long. Did we really have to label it as "true" love though? I thought of him as more of my soul mate. It was a romantic idea, really. The ability to transcend time, space, and death itself with our love, we would always be together forever. I only wished I had realized all of this sooner. I wouldn't have hurt my soul mate then. Now all I can do is make it up to him over time. I'm definitely going to make it up to him, though! I giggled involuntarily at the soul mate concept again.

Mori raised an eyebrow to me. "Oh my. What is Kisa thinking about? Bad thoughts about Hiro, maybe?" she playfully speculated. She was good at that.

As she was still kneeling next to me, I simply gave her a little push. She fell backwards and landed on her butt a few feet away, seemingly surprised. After five seconds or so of just staring at each other and blinking a lot, we both broke into laughter. Inoue looked at us like we were crazy for a few seconds before joining us in laughter.

After we settled down, we went back to simply waiting. We must have waited for almost forty minutes. Where was Hiro? He was ten minutes late now. Maybe he forgot? No… Hiro never forgets things. What if something happened to him?! I got more and more stressed as the minutes passed!

"It's not like Hiro to be late," I finally voiced my concern.

"Don't freak out, Kisa. I'm sure he's just lagging behind a little," Inoue reassured. I sighed and went back to waiting. Maybe she's right? Something might have come up and he could have just been delayed. Ten more minutes passed and it started to get dark. I started drumming my fingers on the pavement.

Inoue must have picked up on it. "Maybe he just forgot?" she attempted to reason.

I rolled my eyes. "This isn't me we're talking about," I replied dryly. Inoue sighed.

"Past experiences considered, I don't exactly feel safe walking home alone. We should definitely wait for the martial arts master to get here," Mori spoke after a few seconds. That surprised me. Usually she doesn't rely on anyone… Inoue nodded in agreement as well.

Pulling out my cell phone, I rapidly dialed his house number from memory. After five rings, I sighed and hung up.

"No answer?" Mori asked the obvious.

"Maybe he's on his way here now?" Inoue speculated. Who knows? Images of trucks and blood assaulted my brain again and I tucked up to drive them away. We waited once more.

A little while later, Inoue tilted her head slightly, drawing all attention to her in an instant. "Do you think that he might be at the apartment?" she asked curiously. I blinked a few times before smacking my forehead. Of course! I didn't quite have the number memorized yet but I had stored it on my phone.

I rapidly found it in my phone book and dialed it. Mori rolled her eyes while I was doing so…

* * *

**Rough Awakenings**

* * *

Coldness. It flowed freely around me. The night air was freezing as it rushed past… I was falling. The ground was still a few hundred feet below me and I descended in a simple freefall. The darkness of the night seemed alive and was attempting to almost crush me. It was trying awfully hard to kill a person that was going to die in thirty seconds or so anyway… 

A car? It was parked below and had a woman waiting outside of it. What was she waiting for? M…Mother?! No… not again! The roof of the car was as unforgiving as usual. My body shattered as I hit and I felt the top of the car bend violently around me as I went through the roof and hit the passenger's front seat. It almost broke me in half…

Mother didn't scream, though. Numbness. I couldn't feel anything. The seat was almost destroyed but I was still bent backwards over it, broken as well. I saw the blood starting to run down it when she turned around and looked at me.

She had the face of an apathetic Akito, however, and I felt wetness slide down my cheeks in addition to the blood… She… smiled when she saw me and started chuckling. Soon it was laughter and I wanted to die even more. No… this wasn't how it went! No! I didn't… Kisa accepted me back and… No!!!

I actually screamed it. The car shattered away from me and I seemed to drift in the air where I was, slowly bending back into place. No… no! This wasn't how it's supposed to be! Stop it! My thoughts screamed out. Every scream would blow another chunk out of Akito, though. Soon she was just standing there, balancing on her only remaining leg, having the audacity of oozing her ugly blood everywhere…

She finally stopped chuckling. "You… can't stop me, little Hiro," she whispered, barely audible but seeming to echo through my very soul! My final soul scream shattered the ground! The concrete slowly crumbled and everything returned to darkness. All I could hear was my heartbeat and heavy breathing…

And… a ringing noise? What was that? It was kind of annoying but I focused on it. Suddenly, I sat up with a gasp, cold sweat covering me entirely and actual tears running down my cheeks. A pile of books fell off the shelf across from me in the same instant. A… dream. Why can't I ever… control that one?!? I stared at the books for a few seconds. Guess I didn't stack those up as well as I had thought…

Another ring of our phone snapped me out of it. Wait. Nobody knew this number except for Mother and… Kisa! My view whipped to the nearest clock, only to discover with much dismay that it was already seven o'clock! I was an hour late!

I think I set a new world record getting to the phone. Still somewhat numb from the dream, I shakily took the headset off the wall and answered.

"Hiro?!?" an incredibly frantic Kisa spouted from the other end.

I winced slightly. "I'm sorry, Kisa! I'm an hour late, I know. Are you still at the mall?" I asked, feeling guilty.

"Yes, we're still at the mall. Did you… forget about us?!" Kisa asked in a slightly annoyed tone. Annoyed? My brain handed me dozens of replies, of course. You've forgotten me plenty of times! It hurts, doesn't it, Kisa?

I bit them back. "I'm sorry, Kisa. I had a little… complication but I'll be there in a little bit," I explained. I heard a little gasp from the other end.

"Wait! Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?!" she asked rapidly, starting to sound concerned again. I sighed.

"I'll live. I was just… stupid again. I'll be right over to pick you up…" I added, somewhat annoyed at myself.

"Wait, Hiro!" came from the other end but I hung up anyway. Feelings from the dream still echoed through me. I felt… broken and empty again. The signature feeling of attempting to swallow a tennis ball whole was present as I attempted to work out the knots in my stomach. What a day…

The night air served to wake me up a little as I rushed along on my bike. She had said "we", so that meant Inoue and Mori were still with her. They probably wanted an escort home as well. As my bike only had two seats, it looked like I'd be walking it for a little bit. Why did I let myself not eat? I was so stupid sometimes…

I could see them in the light of the store eve when I pulled up. All three looked up and into the darkness at me as I approached. Kisa stood first and rushed over to where I was. At first, she just examined every inch of me with her eyes, though.

"No damage…" I reassured after she seemed to be done. She put her hands on her hips and looked skeptically at me. She started smiling after she discovered I wasn't hurt, anyway.

I looked away slightly. "What happened, Hiro?" she asked quietly. Usually that meant she was either angry or worried. Both seemed applicable so I couldn't decide.

"I just overexerted myself and… took a nap, that's all," I attempted to explain in as nonchalant a manner I could muster.

Mori and Inoue had caught up to her by then. "What were you doing that was so strenuous?" she asked, raising an eyebrow towards me. I sighed.

"It was just a bit of heavy lifting. I just got so involved that I kind of forgot to eat," I explained, also attempting to sound detached. Kisa frowned and tilted her head at me. Having known each other for as long as we have, we can typically communicate fairly well without needing words. This also applied to being able to detect even partial truths... I smiled slightly at her head tilt and looked down again. Kisa let out a slight chuckle, earning her odd looks from Mori and Inoue.

"Okay, so what were you really doing?" she asked, obviously amused now. A sly smile spread across her lips.

I sighed yet again. Oh well. "Heavy lifting, like I said. I was carrying bags of our things to the apartment," I added, filling in the obvious blanks.

Kisa's eyes widened drastically, as predicted. "You were moving some of our stuff already?! Why didn't you ask me to help you?" she asked, instantly sad. It never took Kisa long to reach that emotion.

"Well most of it's done now, except a few needed items for tonight. You looked like you really wanted to go shopping, though, and I didn't want to ruin it for you…" I explained, smiling my hardest towards her. Wait… what was that? I thought I saw…

Kisa sighed and smiled a little herself. She seemed sad still and looked away from me slightly. I confirmed it. I did indeed see a glitter from her ear… This was interesting. The small stud earring had a cute, pink gem in the center of it. Kisa had pierced her ears! I was surprised. It probably had something to do with Mori, though. Hmm. They were still cute, though. "Hiro… you should have told me! I would have helped you instead of having fun all day and letting you do all the work!" she exclaimed, switching the anger to herself.

She hadn't mentioned the earrings so she was either too caught up with worrying or wasn't sure how I'd handle them. "You had fun? Then I'm happy… That was the whole point of you going, remember?" I asked, casually reaching out and brushing my hand along her cheek. She smiled warmly at me and closed her eyes at the feeling of my touch. Mori and Inoue smiled at me as well.

"Mm… Hiro…" she muttered, sounding guilty still. I slid my hand along her jaw and around to the nape of her neck, causing her to tilt her head into my hand. A light purring sound slipped from her throat and I smiled, massaging her neck. Her head tilted like this gave me the perfect view of her ear and I took my time examining it at a much closer range. Mori and Inoue saw where I was looking. Both girls widened their eyes drastically. I see. Kisa wasn't sure how I'd react, then. "Ah… Hiro, that feels good," she whispered after a few seconds.

Smiling, I slipped my hand up further. She liked this? Have to store that one for later. "Good. I'm glad you had fun today. It seems that you were productive as well…" I noted out loud.

Kisa smiled happily now. "Oh? Why do you say that?" she asked in a lazy fashion. Mori and Inoue looked at each other nervously. My thumb brushed the earring…

Kisa's eyes shot open again and she locked up against me instantly, gulping. I felt along the back of the ear and found the cap. No outward connections. She had actually pierced her ears… She simply watched me nervously but didn't try to back away. After a few more seconds, I just shrugged at her, still smiling.

"Oh, no reason. You just managed to look even more beautiful tonight, that's all," I explained casually as I backed away from her again. She blinked a few times before starting to smile. Mori and Inoue both exhaled at the same time.

It seemed to be assumed that I'd escort the girls back home, not that I had a problem with that. We walked in silence for the most part. Much to my thanks, the trip was entirely uneventful. With my luck, I was expecting the ninja assassins to drop down at any point…

After Inoue and Mori were home safely, Kisa mounted the bike behind me and we rode instead of walking the rest of the way. Kisa leaned into my back as we went and I smiled. See, Akito? I stopped you already. It's too late to stop me, not you.

We rounded the apex of a large hill about halfway home. Kisa's arms suddenly disappeared from around me? I panicked briefly before I looked behind me. Kisa was spreading her arms out like bird's wings, smiling happily. I foresaw another flying dream session tonight.

Switching control to just my legs, I folded my arms backwards and wrapped them around her still. She leaned further into me and rested her head on my shoulder, arms still outspread. "I'll love you forever, Hiro..." she whispered suddenly. My eyes widened slightly but I quickly smiled again. I wanted to cry happily and shout out in glee at the same time.

"I as well, forever and back again," I whispered back, nuzzling her cheek. We hit the bottom of the hill unexpectedly then. Kisa yipped and latched onto me once again as I snapped attention back to the road and regained control...

Kisa started laughing after a few seconds. "Let's not try for our next lives just yet, okay, Hiro?" she teased.

"Hey, it's not my fault that hill wasn't long enough..." I defended while chuckling. Kisa laughed more.

"Oh, Hiro... You'll never change," she murmured, giving me a squeeze.

"But you love me anyway..." I reminded, teasing back. Kisa giggled and licked my ear. We almost crashed... again...

Somehow, we made it back home in one piece. I had been starting to have doubts... Kisa seemed to be getting spunky, though, and was busy attempting to tickle me as I tried to unlock the door to the house! She was such a brat sometimes! Laughing, I finally got the door open on the fourth try and we stumbled into the house. She kept stumbling, though, and I had to catch her. What I didn't expect was her momentum and we both ended up on the floor in a heap.

She just laughed more though and crawled into me, kissing me this time. I laughed into the kiss and rolled with her, pinning her to the floor. After a few seconds, I sat up on her and smirked down at her. She simply grinned back up at me and pawed the air in my direction. Adorable as always...

My stomach growling interrupted both of us and she started laughing again. "Don't worry, Hiro! I'll fix you something to eat..." she promised, switching to a normal smile. I nodded to her and helped her up.

"Thanks... I technically haven't eaten since breakfast," I commented, just remembering myself. Kisa did a little salute and started towards the kitchen...

Today was a weird day. I wandered upstairs while she was making dinner for us. My room was more conventional than Kisa's. I just had a few pictures, most of Kisa, up on my dresser. They were interesting to me today, though, and I picked one up.

Tohru was standing there in the center of the shot, waving like the nut she was. Kisa was in middle school then and still rather timid. I was looking annoyed and partially blocking Kisa from Tohru. I laughed then at how jealous I could get over Kisa.

Then it struck me... again. We were engaged. I didn't have to be jealous over Kisa. She loves me. Me. She also loves Tohru, but not like she loves me. Her... romantic, soul mate love belongs only to me. Everyone else gets her... normal love then? I smiled. We had come so far. Kisa was a lot more confident than she ever was. I was learning to control my temper... a little... I didn't mind Tohru so much now and she really did try to help us. Kyo was still annoying, but... he was kind of like me in some ways. He desperately loved Tohru but couldn't tell her. That's how I used to be with Kisa. I smiled more. He eventually would tell her. I'm not sure how Yuki would react, though. He confuses me sometimes and I can never really read him very well.

Kisa's voice snapped me out of my inner monolog. "That's an interesting face, Hiro," she commented quietly. I turned to my left and saw her walking into the room, smiling. She didn't stop until she bumped into me and wrapped her arms around my left one. I smiled towards her.

"Just thinking about how far we've come..." I explained, in a much more condensed form.

Kisa smiled and nodded. "We have. I think it's an improvement, overall. Your food's ready, by the way," she informed. I was then dragged downstairs again by the arm. It would seem she went for speed and simply made soup and sandwiches, not that I was complaining.

Both of us were done in record time. I almost inhaled my food, however. Food seems to retroactively taste better off some abstract formula of how hungry you are, I noted. Kisa ate a lot less than I did but she seemed pleased to simply watch me eat. After I had finished, I lazily reclined back in my chair and rested there, full to the point of immobility...

Kisa giggled at me before returning to her soft smile. "I'm glad you weren't upset at me getting my ears pierced," she suddenly commented.

"Now why would I be upset? It gives me another type of jewelry to buy for you..." I reasoned, grinning at her.

She broke into laughter before smacking me playfully in the arm. "Hiro!"

I returned to my normal smile and nodded to her. "They do look good on you, though," I informed. Kisa blushed slightly and lowered her head.

"Thanks, Hiro..." she muttered softly. She seemed kind of depressed. I thought she said that she had a good time? "But... Mori kind of signed me up for the full package and... I spent most of your money..." she added after a few seconds. Oh. That explains it...

I smiled and nodded at her. "And did you have fun?" I asked, interrupting. She looked back up at me with a slight smile now, seemingly surprised, but nodded. "Then that's what counts. I'm glad that you spent the money if it allowed you to have fun. You need to do that more often..." I assured. Kisa blinked a few times before starting to shake slightly. Huh? Did I say something wrong?

All of two seconds later, I was really glad my chair had wheels on it. If not, we might have gone over backwards from the force of her colliding with me! Instead, we simply slid backwards and smacked into the wall behind me... It was unexpected and caught me totally off guard! Suddenly she was nuzzling my neck and cuddling into my lap?! After a few seconds, surprise turned into a certain sense of happiness and warmth. I simply slipped my arms around her and held her there.

"I'm sorry that you got hurt just so I could have fun," she suddenly apologized, after several seconds of warm cuddling.

"Kisa..." I muttered, brushing her cheek with my hand. She seemed to read my thoughts and sat up on me a little.

"You're so nice to me, Hiro. I know you don't mind if I can't pay you back, but I'm still going to try my hardest to make you feel as special as you make me feel," she declared suddenly, smiling again. I... didn't know what to think, let alone say.

Not that she gave me much time to decide... She flopped back down onto me and proceeded to kiss my neck in various trails up and down it. They were small pecks and soon I lost myself to just the feeling. She had gotten so much braver than I remembered. Definitely not complaining, however!

She finally trailed up to my ear and licked it a few times as well before trailing down my jaw again. She stopped a split second before she reached my lips though. "Hiro... I love you so much..." she suddenly purred in a rather throaty voice. There seemed to be a knot in my throat that prevented me from speaking, however, and I just swallowed instead. My window of opportunity was gone half a second later as she pushed her lips into mine. The room seemed to get warmer, suddenly.

Her tongue pushed apart my lips at about the same time her hands roamed up my chest and started to undo my shirt's buttons. Yeah. The room was definitely getting warmer. Or maybe it was just me? Wait... what was going on exactly? I played a little with her tongue as we kissed but she was definitely doing most of the work... and seemingly enjoying it.

Unbuttoning my shirt the rest of the way, she attempted to slide her hands under it and pull it over my head. My hands found her wrists however and stopped her. "Kisa... Mori put you up to this, didn't she?" I asked, remembering the last time. Kisa averted her eyes slightly.

"No, of course not. I just want to make you happy," Kisa explained. I pondered.

"But I AM happy, Kisa," I told her, poking her nose with mine.

She giggled. "You aren't the happiest boy in the world yet, however. That shall be my goal!" she declared boldly. My eyes widened slightly and I flushed, drawing another giggle from her.

Maybe this really was bothering her? She slipped my shirt off and proceeded to kiss me yet again, this time running her hands slowly along my chest and over my abs. It felt good and I rapidly lost myself to the feelings again. This time I responded a little bit and slipped my hands up the back of her shirt, feeling along her back. Her skin was smooth and soft. She started purring slightly and slipped her hands down my stomach and to the buckle of my pants! Were we really ready for this? We weren't even out of high school yet. Probably not...

One of two things could be going through Kisa's head right now. Either she honestly wanted this, which was kind of doubtful. She had made wonderful progress on her confidence, but this seemed a little above her even now. Kisa also has a tendency, when she thinks something's going to be unpleasant, to just grit her teeth and rush through it as quickly as possible. That wouldn't do at all. That would mean that she felt that this was required of her right away, as quickly as possible.

Once again, my hands found her wrists and stopped her. She play pouted up at me. "Kisa, just because we're engaged, doesn't mean we have to rush into things. I'd feel terrible if you felt obligated and then regretted it later," I explained carefully. Kisa frowned and leaned in again, but I moved my head to the side. Her eyes started getting watery...

"Hiro... but… every other girl is… and…" Kisa started muttering rapidly. I knew it! But how do I say this without hurting her feelings?

My hand went up and gently rested under her chin. She stopped whimpering and let me direct her face back upwards and at me. "Kisa, calm down," I whispered, followed by, "We have never been normal so you shouldn't compare us to other people. We mature faster and have slightly different needs from normal humans…" This would be but a reminder, as she already knew all too well how different we were.

Kisa nodded slightly and wiped away the tears. I didn't give her time to respond however and stood up, lifting her with me. She squeaked, but gave no further complaint. With me being more than a little sore, it did take a little effort to get her up the stairs, though. She flushed slightly when I lowered her to the bed.

"Okay… I'm going to take a shower now, Kisa. I'm still all sweaty from today. You think about what you, nobody else, but you want to do. Consider it carefully…" I told her, starting to straighten back up.

"Hiro, wait…" she groaned in a slightly irritated tone of voice. I had in mind to ignore her, but I guess she predicted that. She clamped onto me again…

I stopped attempting to untangle us and sighed. "What is it now, Kisa?"

"I can't possibly make this decision without your input. It's your body involved too, remember?" she "reminded" in an amused fashion.

I shook my head. "I'll go along with what you decide, so don't worry. Now I really should give you time to…" I started. In truth, I did need some time to think and a shower did sound like a good escape to do so.

"Hiro!" she whined, openly complaining now…

I lifted anyway, but she proved to have a better grip than I had estimated. She was lifted entirely off the bed again. "Kisa! Let go or I'll drag you in with me…" I threatened.

She grinned? Great… "Oh… cool! I missed my shower this morning anyway," she informed, smirking at me. Some of the things Kisa says make me want to record them and play them back to the younger Kisa. I wonder how many aneurysms she'd have. Well, it was just me of course. I seriously doubt she'd say anything even remotely close if someone else was in the room too.

"Kisa…" I groaned, attempting to put her down again. That's when I heard the violent sounding crack and all feeling left my shoulder in a nova of pain! I gave out a startled yelp and fell over on top of her.

Kisa blinked a few times before finally realizing that I was serious and… instantly started to panic. Figures… I managed to roll off her and onto my back before she did any more damage! "Hiro, what happened?!" she asked, utter shock in her eyes.

I didn't answer for a few seconds as I attempted to gain some ounce of control over the pain. It was massive! My shoulder must have given out and dislocated itself from Kisa's weight… It was the same arm that I used to grab the pole too, so it wasn't all that surprising. Finally mustering enough resolve, I muttered, "My shoulder… gave out. It's dislocated. Give me… a moment…"

Kisa didn't listen as usual. "Oh no! I'll call Hatori!" she shouted, slipping off the bed and running towards the phone. I sighed and willed the pain back further, managing to sit up this time. Looking over at her frantically attempting to dial, and actually managing to fail a few times before remembering he was in the phone's memory, I sighed. How annoying…

I'd only seen this done once, and that was fictional anyway, but I figured that it was worth a try. The physics should be the same, right? I reached over and placed my hand on my damaged shoulder. Mentally sealing the shoulder off from the rest of my body, I just closed my eyes and forced it upwards…

Pain! Ungodly amounts of pain like that which I've never felt before! My blood froze and vision darkened under the flare of raw agony flooding up my arm! I kept pushing though and heard a sickening crunching noise. Sense wise, it was accompanied by a flash of light and my vision producing spots. Nerve wise, well, someone just chopped off my arm…

Thankfully it was more shock this time and less shouting. One muffled whimper escaped me before I fell back over on the bed. "Hiro! What did you do?!" Kisa shouted off in the distance, echoing slightly. I had been slightly aware of her talking to Hatori, but too busy to actually listen. On second thought, that was probably a stupid idea…

I just lay there recovering for a few seconds. Ouch. That sucked. Eventually the pain numbed to a tingling effect that was much appreciated. I sat back up, or attempted to, only to discover something holding me down. Hatori? When did he get here? How long had I taken to recover?! "You stupid, stupid boy," he suddenly muttered, letting me sit up. Kisa was behind him slightly, openly crying. "You could have done even more damage forcing it back in like you did. Not to mention the unneeded amounts of pain when you didn't wait for proper anesthetics," he lectured.

"You really don't have to tell me that. I felt personally how much that sucked…" I reminded him, sighing again.

He laughed. "I see it hasn't stifled your wit, anyway. You must be feeling better now. What happened?" he asked after recovering.

Kisa, who had been sniffing and recovering, turned a pretty pink color then. I looked down and away from him. "Just a bit of lifting… I'll be more careful from now on," I promised him casually. He raised an eyebrow and turned to look at a blushing Kisa.

"I… see. Well be more careful. Call me if anything happens again, preferably before you attempt to fix it yourself, okay?" he reminded, standing up and walking towards the door.

"Um… th… thank you, Hatori!" Kisa suddenly called out, smiling at him slightly. He just smiled and nodded to her before walking out the door and down the stairs.

Kisa just stood there for a few seconds before losing her smile and looking back towards me. She thought this was her fault? Hmm. "What, Hatori gets a smile and your boyfriend doesn't? I'm jealous…" I commented, smirking at her.

She laughed and grinned at me, as predicted. I figured she'd feel better if she knew I wasn't mad at her. She didn't comment, though, and simply slipped into my lap again. I sighed and she cuddled more. I don't care what anyone else said. This is all I needed in this world…

Kisa suddenly fell sideways off my lap? She simply flopped against the bed and watched me watching her. After a few seconds, she started to smile again. "I'm sorry for injuring you, Hiro. I've definitely decided, though. It'll make you feel a lot better, right?" she asked in speculation. My eyes widened slightly.

"Kisa… Do you want to? That was the original question, not how it would make me feel," I reminded her… again… Kisa simply nodded. I thought I saw her swallow… but I couldn't tell. Great…

I crawled slowly over to her and lay down on my stomach beside her. She just watched and smiled at me. She wasn't making this easy… Now there was really only one way to find out.

All it took was a simple inverse of our prior situation. I lay down on top of her this time and she eagerly leaned up into my mouth. We kissed lightly for a while as I slid my hand up her side, earning myself a muffled moan. Her stomach and sides were always sensitive… This time I kept my hand up her shirt and simply rested it on her side. Leaning away from her slightly, I looked into her eyes.

They were slightly glazed over and she had a faint blush. Okay. That told me that she either really liked this or was going into shock. Or both, I suppose. I resumed my earlier ministrations to her lips and shifted my hand's attention to her stomach this time. She was extremely ticklish and started squirming under me, giggling into our kiss. This caused a chain reaction of me laughing and losing focus for a little while too long.

My right knee's traction gave out on the bed and I fell onto her again. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but my injured shoulder couldn't support my weight either and that elbow lost its traction as well. This had the further misfortune of sliding my hand promptly up her stomach and into far more sensitive territory…

Kisa yelped. I withdrew my hand and she scampered backwards slightly, smacking her head into the headboard of the bed! I sighed and helped her sit up again. Not how I had planned on testing her, but it still had the same results that I had predicted. She wasn't exactly ready…

Glancing down at my guilty hand, I blushed slightly before looking back up at Kisa. "Sorry about that, Kisa. I slipped… but something tells me you aren't ready for this anyway…"

Kisa turned a deep crimson instead of answering right away. After a few seconds, she nodded and sighed. "I should be the one to apologize. You're… probably right. Everything just got me so worked up today and… well… Mori was on her usual rant," she admitted.

I couldn't help but start laughing. "I knew Mori was involved somehow…" I commented, almost to myself. Kisa grinned and pawed at me.

"Well… she makes me feel so guilty sometimes, like I'm not treating you well enough. Then, with everything that happened today, it just kind of overwhelmed me and I felt that I had to do something about it…" she explained. I nodded and smiled at her.

"Well don't worry about it. I'm happiest with you just staying with me too," I told her, smiling softly now. She blushed again but her features softened, telling me she was feeling a little better about the situation, anyway.

I got off the bed then and stretched slightly, testing my arm. It seemed to be recovering its strength again. "However, I still haven't managed to get to the shower. I wasn't expecting it to become such a trial…" I teased. Kisa laughed and grinned.

"Yes, go take a shower! I'll never be able to sleep with the way you smell now…" Kisa teased back, smirking. I laughed, glad that she was feeling better with the situation.

"Fine. If the princess requests I bathe, I shall do so as fast as possible…" I complied, doing a mock bow.

Kisa seemed to contemplate for a few seconds before looking back up at me. "Um… are you sure you don't want me to come?" she suddenly asked, earning another groan from me.

"Kisa… not again! I told you already…"

"No! I know that. But isn't it possible… for us to just take a shower together… Nothing… sexual or anything…?" she asked, turning slightly pink.

I sighed and nodded. "Yes, yes it is possible. Probably not wise tonight, however. You should recover a little…" I commented, smiling at her again.

She laughed and seemed happy that I wasn't angry. "Yeah… maybe you're right. Keep it in mind for another night, though," she compromised. I nodded and walked out of the room. Wow.

All of two minutes later, the water was running down my back in an extremely relaxing manner. Tonight was… wow. I didn't really have any more thoughts concerning it.

Suddenly I heard the door open downstairs and the rustling of bags. Bags? Shopping bags, it sounded like. Mother? Come to think of it, I never did bother to figure out where she disappeared to after all that happened tonight. I heard Kisa greet her and explain that I was in the shower. Pity I couldn't hear everything they were saying. I still found myself somewhat distrusting when the two of them started talking…

After making sure I didn't miss a spot, I turned the water off and dried myself. It was a little tricky with my still tender shoulder, but I managed. Walking downstairs, I discovered only Mother, however.

She nodded in my direction, looking away from the TV. "Good evening, Hiro. How was your day?" she asked, smiling at me. She was as oblivious as usual. I bit back my brain's first… three responses and finally found one that was reasonably polite.

"It could have gone better, but at least it's almost over now," I muttered, looking around for Kisa.

"She went upstairs to write in her diary," Mother informed, apparently reading my mind. She must have thought better than to ask for details… I muttered my thanks and wandered upstairs to find her.

Kisa was busy writing her entry for today so I just quietly lay down on the bed and waited for her to finish. After she closed the book, she turned around and smiled gently at me. "Thanks for waiting, Hiro."

I nodded to her as she stood up and crossed the room, turning off the lights. Ten seconds later, my blankets rustled and I felt her slip in next to me. There was really nothing left to say from either of us so I just held her there for a while as she snuggled. After five minutes or so, I heard footsteps. "Ah, I thought as much. Goodnight, you two," Mother spoke from the hallway.

We each said goodnight to her and things quickly quieted down again. Kisa eventually sighed and nuzzled my neck slightly. "Thank you for stopping me today, Hiro," she muttered into my neck. I sighed as well and rested my chin on top of her head…

"Don't worry about it, Kisa. I love you and don't want to hurt you…" I spoke gently. I felt her smile against my neck.

"I love you, too. I always will…" she returned…

With that, we drifted away into our dream…

* * *

**Chapter 18 – End!**

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Author's Notes: 

Yeah… this isn't the next arc yet as I mentioned filler last time. I didn't want to get into the next arc before school started as it would be kind of hectic at first. Also, I had tons of computer troubles for a while and wasn't able to post the completed chapters like I wanted over the last month. So presto! I submit two chapters at once! The second chapter hasn't been proofed yet, however. Julia-chan is going off to college a week ahead of me, so she is a little busy at the moment. When she does get it to me, I'll simply work it like last time and overwrite the chapter with her corrections. That seemed to work fairly well…

Oh, and on the tweaking to the story stats… I changed the rating, just to be safe on these last two chapters. Trust me. I spent like an hour looking over the rating definitions, which are terribly ambiguous for situations that fall slightly outside of the norm, I might add. After that, I decided that I was indeed using "non-explicit adult themes" but what exactly is the difference between "minor" and "strong"?! I eventually decided to just be safe and go with strong, as I'll eventually need it in the future. The content change was more spontaneous, though. I decided that the story did indeed use supernatural elements, but they are used in a more action-oriented way… So what was action, adventure, and supernatural put together? I went with fantasy in general...

Beyond all of that, I felt this chapter was reasonably cute, in an awkward way. Not as awkward as the next chapter, but still reasonably so… I cut a lot of things out from my original draft this time around… but it all seemed somewhat unneeded for the storyline anyway. As is quite clearly obvious, their relationship is also developing a little more. They're getting much more comfortable around each other, anyway. Nya! Anyway… I move on to the next one now.

**Individual Review Responses: **

I'm just going to put all of them in the next one, seeing as nobody will get a chance to review this chapter before the other one is posted anyway, barring any fatal computer or server errors on Fanfiction's part.


	19. Spring

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**Cursed Love Chapter 19 – Spring **

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The water ran down my face gently. It felt good after a long day at work. Hiro and I have been living here in his apartment for over three weeks now. Yes, I say his apartment because I really don't do much to deserve it. Sure, Hiro got me a really good job, but he insists that I put it all away for college funds and that helping him pay for everything doesn't matter as much. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me… 

I finally turned the shower off and stepped out onto the bathmat, reaching blindly for a towel. Hiro was gone at the moment. He usually took a quick shower after work and then headed over to the dojo for a little exercise before supper. That was at least one thing I could contribute. Sis had taught me how to cook and Hiro really enjoyed my meals, so I make sure to make them as tasty as possible.

Giggling at my own absurdity, I wrapped a towel around my body and wandered out into the main room. Hiro was certainly unique. I sighed and sat down gently on the corner of the bed, feeling my muscles unwinding slowly. Hmm. I told him that I'd meet him shortly at the dojo to get a bit of training in myself. Perhaps I should pack up the supper and bring it along? I doubt Hiro would mind. Humming, I dug into the refrigerator for things that could be carried well…

* * *

**Chaotic Afternoon**

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So stupid! I violently bashed the bokken into the sandbag once again. This was pointless! That stupid… woman insisted that I "condition" my hands to holding and swinging a sword before I actually learn any techniques, but my hands were already conditioned from my other martial arts! I pointed that out every time, but she just got angry and dismissed me whenever I did. What kind of fencing teacher was she?! 

After maybe the hundredth hit or so, I sighed and lowered the bokken. Tossing it suddenly into the air, I got a full three second look at my hand. Not even red… This was so stupid. Focusing on timing, I extended my hand again at the last second and caught the thing as it descended again.

The most frustrating thing was the knowledge that if I tried, I could probably put my hand or foot entirely through this stupid bag of sand. The Sohma family was predisposed fast learners, plus I already had the martial background. This kind of preliminary crap shouldn't even be considered.

My cell rang suddenly and snapped me out of my thoughts. I slipped it out of my thigh pocket and flipped it open. Kisa? I answered.

She explained that she was coming shortly and bringing supper with her! Yes! My stomach voiced a growl of approval and I grinned, thanking her. She seemed happy and told me she'd be over to the dojo as fast as her legs could carry her. I laughed. That was fairly fast… Kisa might not be able to generate as much power as I could, but she was quite a bit faster.

I warned her about the heat once again before hanging up. That's probably why I was complaining a little more than usual. This kind of tedious exercise was miserable to do in almost a hundred degree weather. I'd almost welcome the restaurant work. At least it was air conditioned in there…

"Chatting with your girlfriend again, Hiro? You'd probably be well into the techniques by now if you stopped drooling over her every ten seconds…" I suddenly heard off to my left. Sighing, I mentally pictured several blades cutting her in half before gritting my teeth and turning.

My "teacher" wandered up about then. She was in a low-cut, sleeveless training garment herself. Her black hair went down to her shoulders and she had this annoying little strand that popped out of the top of her head. Unfortunately, etiquette demanded that I treat her with at least a little respect.

I bowed to her. "I finished the training section, sensei," I informed, attempting to keep my voice under control.

She raised an eyebrow, though. "Oh? Show me your hands, then," she ordered casually. Thankfully I was still bowing and she didn't see my eye twitch. Kneeling down slightly, I set the bokken down and raised both hands, palms up. She laughed at me, of course. "Oh please! There's not a single red mark. You were probably talking to that stupid girl the entire time and slacking off… Three hundred more strikes."

"Kisa isn't stupid!" came out of my mouth before I could consider it! That's it! I can't take this anymore!

The instructor snorted. "She has to be to like a slow boy like you… And you are to call me sensei at all given times."

"I'd hardly trust your qualifications to judge, coming from a woman with the intelligence of a diseased donkey…" I retorted, coming out of my bow and lazily standing up. I'd just find someone else to teach me… after reporting her to Kazuma, of course. She didn't seem to have much actual skill to back up her mouth…

The stupid woman glared at me. That only meant I was getting to her. Heh. Excellent… "You conceited brat! How dare you compare me to a stupid animal like that!" she almost screamed.

"You're right. I'm sorry… The donkey at least has more charisma," I added, smirking at her. Ah, the telltale flares of red in the cheeks…

"Shut up! I could mop the floor with your face, you know!" she yelled back. What an immature woman, resorting to violence. I figured it would take more than that to annoy her to that extent, too.

I laughed. "Oh please. I'm yet to see any of this so called skill you possess. I'm willing to bet that you actually aren't that good…" I taunted, shaking my head and turning around. I heard a low growl of hate behind me. My only reply was another chuckle before wandering towards the office.

Her footsteps rapidly started in my direction. She was running at me? I didn't turn around but just listened while walking. They slowed slightly, before I heard a light scratching noise, followed by them speeding up again. She had retrieved my bokken… What an idiot. In the split second that she closed, I didn't hear her slow. Nor did I hear any whipping noises of the sword through the air? She was just trying to stab me with it?! I fell sideways at the last second…

The point of the bokken went past me in a second, but no contact was made… That could have actually punctured flesh! What, was she trying to kill me for calling her a diseased donkey? I landed lightly on my left hand and did a rapid, violent lash with my right leg…

It actually connected? Her feet went out from under her and she went sideways. I expected her to at least catch herself, but no, she just crashed onto the floor, hip first. That one probably hurt a little, but then again, she had the reaction time of a slug.

She scrambled to her feet and growled at me, until she realized she wasn't holding the bokken anymore. She made a sliding dive for it while I just stood there wishing I had a camera… Why had I given this ditz respect again? I would rather have Tohru teach me. She probably could do a better job… and I'd probably have Kisa over here almost constantly then.

Mentally laughing, both at my inner thoughts and the stupid woman scrambling to get to her feet, I took a few steps towards her then. Technically, she had attacked me first. There were several students in the dojo at the moment and almost everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch when she crashed violently into the floor. None seemed to keen to help her, though…

She didn't request help, seemingly deciding to rush me instead. I sighed as she came in with a downward cut. Even if it had hit me, it wouldn't have done much damage. I turned sideways and watched the blade skim past me. She brought it sideways then, but I simply kept rotating until I was to her side, my back to her.

From that position, it wasn't terribly hard to catch her hand as she completed the failed attack. She was attempting to swing cross-bodied anyway, which even I knew was stupid. It had limited the maneuverability that her shoulder gave her, thus making it quite easy to dodge. Grabbing her wrist, I hooked her ankles with my right leg and pulled… The results were predictable and she went flying almost ten feet before crashing onto the dojo floor, butt first and sliding.

She growled and was a little slower to rise this time. The leg she landed on must be complaining by now. "Give up, you charlatan. You don't know a thing about fencing… Any beginner can even see that," I commented in as bored a fashion as I could muster. She growled loader and dropped the bokken into a lower guard stance. Another rush?

"Don't even think about it. Not only did you give false credentials, but you also attempted to attack a student…" Kazuma suddenly said from my left. I looked towards him and smiled. He must have seen me from the door of the office. "With that, get out of my dojo and don't expect to receive payment…" he completed, giving her a glare that could probably kill less stubborn individuals.

She turned slightly pale and backed up a few paces. Stupid woman… Kazuma could rip her apart faster than I could, even. "She's just lucky you aren't reporting her to the police for fraud and attempted murder…" I commented idly, looking over at Kazuma again. Kazuma glanced at me and, briefly, looked amused.

"Hmm… that might not be such a bad idea. It would certainly stop her from doing this to another innocent, trusting, and entirely altruistic dojo sensei…" he agreed, turning it rapidly to whimsical. I couldn't help it and I broke into laughter.

She looked terribly confused and simply dropped the practice sword. "Isn't all that just another way to say you're gullible?" I speculated upon recovery, teasing him.

His turn to laugh, he nodded and agreed, "Yeah, you're probably right…" She slumped then and dropped to her knees, drawing both of our attention back over at her.

"P…Please don't report this… I… apologize for everything," she suddenly begged, surprising me.

Kazuma shook his head. "Just don't let me see you harassing my students…" he started, before glancing over at me. He then continued, "…or friends, again. Understand?"

She nodded rapidly, wincing slightly. He directed her at the door with a simply head motion and she left rapidly. After a few seconds, he sighed and turned towards me again. "I'm glad you managed to flush out that fraud, Hiro. You saved me quite a bit of money in the long run," he thanked.

I smiled and nodded towards him. "Don't worry about it. It's a pity, though. Masters of blade arts aren't the easiest to find…" I muttered, sighing. He smiled knowingly at me.

"Don't worry. I can find another one to train you… I'll just have to make my entrance exam a little tougher, no?" he asked, laughing. I joined him and nodded.

"Oh well. Looks like I'm done for the day, so I'm going to see if I can find Kisa before she gets here."

"Was she bringing you lunch again?" Kazuma asked, adding a chuckle afterwards.

I grinned. "She's too nice to me sometimes, I know. She seems to get so worried that she's not contributing enough to our relationship…"

Kazuma chuckled and nodded. "Kisa is like that. She's most concerned about everyone's feelings regarding her. I'm glad she's starting to see that she doesn't have to constantly worry about that, though."

"Yeah. Tohru seems to change everyone she talks to for longer than five minutes with," I agreed, sighing. Tohru was… okay I guess. She helped Kisa and for that, I was thankful. It… should have been me but I can't change that now. Kisa easily forgives people, at least.

Kazuma chuckled again before scratching his chin briefly. "Hmm… Now all we have to work on is to get you to stop discrediting and blaming yourself…" he muttered, smiling lightly. I snorted.

"You should be glad Kisa doesn't take after me… You know you don't need two of me around," I pointed out, getting him to laugh at least.

"Well I can agree with you from that perspective, anyway. But, if that was her on the phone, you might want to get going. That was over five minutes ago and the girl is a fast runner if you recall…" he reminded, smiling at the end again.

I looked at my watch and nodded. Indeed, seven minutes had passed since her call. She probably waited until she was packed before calling me, so I doubted I could catch her before she left the apartment. I'd just have to backtrack and keep an eye out for her…

I thanked Kazuma for the intervention and bid him farewell for the day. Sadly, I got outside before I thought of calling her cell. I pulled mine out and dialed her. Two rings. She probably was carrying a lot… Three? I got a little concerned. Four rings and her voicemail kicked in. Okay, she either forgot her phone, didn't hear it, or wasn't in a position to answer it. My third speculation worried me.

Growling, I hung up and started walking again. It was probably nothing, but once I got started…

Three minutes later, I was a third of the way home and getting hot already. Stupid weather! Why couldn't it be a nice seventy or eighty? I could tolerate that… but no, it has to irritate me and be almost a hundred! A block later, I was fuming. That silly girl had better not tried to run in this…

Something glittered to my right and caught my attention. I looked across the street to discover its source. What I saw was a little strange and I crossed the street to investigate.

There was a pooling of clothes just… laying there? Light yellow shirt… white shorts… wait a second. The day got colder then and, under different circumstances, I would have been glad. I carefully lifted the shirt up and discovered an orange bra. Oh crap… Kisa had either lost her mind in the heat and was now running around naked… or she had lost her energy and was now running around furry.

Glancing ahead further, I discovered the source of the glittering I had noticed. My eyes widened as I saw the engagement ring laying on the cement with my bracelet encircling it. Oh no… Even delusional, I doubted that she'd take those off… To the left of the clothes, I discovered her backpack. Checking it, I noticed that it was half full of food. She hadn't eaten before leaving… Silly girl…

Worried, I rapidly packed her clothes into the top of the backpack. The bracelet, her cell phone, and the engagement ring went into my pocket. Okay… if she transformed, she'd probably have crawled under a bush or shrub to get away from the heat, right? I looked around the area a little. She wasn't exactly a cub anymore so it should be reasonably easy to find a full grown tiger.

I was peeking around a hedge when "Hiro!" came from behind me. Standing up, I turned around to look at Inoue run up. Her house was close to here, if I recalled correctly. "What are you doing, Hiro?" she inquired curiously.

"Just looking for something I dropped. Now that I think about it, Kisa might have it instead. Have you seen her?" I asked back, tilting my head slightly.

Inoue seemed to ponder for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Um… no. Is she wandering around here? You should call her and tell her to go back to the apartment. It's dangerous right now…" she informed. Okay, now I'm curious.

"Dangerous? Why is it dangerous?"

"It was scary! A tiger was in this area a little while ago!" she exclaimed. Oh no… My face must have paled. "Yeah, I know. I was surprised too! It gave them quite a bit of trouble. It seemed to know how to break their tranquilizer poles," she added.

I gulped. "What did they… do with the tiger?" I asked shakily. They might think it was a tiger, but a dose of strong tranquilizers like that could seriously hurt, or kill a human!

"Oh… um… I think they said that it was probably someone's pet and simply escaped. It didn't have any tags on it. Animal control picked it up and said they'd hold it until someone claimed the tiger…" she explained. And here I thought my blood couldn't get any colder…

I took off in a full sprint, whipping the backpack around my shoulder as I went. Inoue yipped in surprise before calling out "Uh… okay! I'll talk to you later, Hiro!"

Ten seconds later, I was rapidly dialing Hatori's number. I might need his… special skills in this situation. He answered in one ring.

"Hatori! Big problems… Kisa transformed in the heat and animal control picked her up before I could get to her!" I explained rapidly as I ran.

"What?! You're going to their office right now? I'll meet you down there," he agreed, calming down again within seconds. I don't know how he did that so fast…

"Thanks, Hatori!" I replied before hanging up. Making new land speed records, I bolted towards their office…

Three minutes later, I was breathing heavily as I slid to a stop in front of the building. It was an ugly, cement thing. Weird smells drifted from it and I hated them for bringing Kisa here. Suddenly, a powerful roar sounded from the building, followed by a crashing noise and several shouts. Yes! Rip them a new one, Kisa!

I was through the door within seconds. Ignoring the shout from the secretary, I followed the sounds of commotion through the employee only door! Two men were in the hallway in front of me. One had a tranquilizer pole… and the other carried a pole with a cable loop on the end. A third was down the hall further and attempting to use one of the loop poles to stop… Kisa! He had it around her neck!

"Kisa!" I shouted at the top of my lungs! Both workers nearest me turned around at the noise.

"No, kid! Get out of here before you get hurt! This tiger is dangerous!" the one with the tranquilizer pole shouted. I ignored him…

Kisa's ear's perked however and she looked in my direction. After a few seconds of staring, she lashed backwards with her hind legs and kicked her restrainer's legs out from under him. As he went over sideways, she kicked him in the face again before he landed. This was enough to get him to let go of the pole… She took off towards me in full sprint.

The men in front of me gasped and raised their "tools" at her as she ran! "No!" I shouted, dropping and sweeping both of them off their feet in one violent spin! She leapt over them as they fell and landed behind me, much to the dismay of the secretary who had followed me. She let out a scream and ran back the way she came…

Kisa ignored her utterly though and spun around, hopping up on her hind legs and licking at my face. All three men simply stared in utter shock as I started laughing under her tongue's attention. I hugged her to me anyway… "Um… is she your pet, Sir?" the nearest asked. I glared at him.

"Yes. I'm taking her home, now," I replied, letting Kisa drop to the ground and turning towards the door. That was… kind of weird to say. The secretary and another worker were standing there to block my path, unfortunately.

"Sir, you can't do that. You don't have a leash and the tiger isn't sedated. No matter how much it's trained, we can't let you do that…" the secretary explained, not budging. The two guys started to approach from behind as well…

I growled. "She's allergic to tranquillizers and I don't have my leash with me. Now move before I sue you all for animal abuse. That'll look good for animal control, I'm sure…" I threatened, walking towards her.

The man beside her looked hesitant but lowered his tranquilizer pole towards Kisa anyway. I shifted in-between him and Kisa. "If you even get close to her with that, I'll personally rip you in half. Move aside!" I barked, glaring at him. Kisa started purring behind me…

"Sir! You must understand that we can't just let you leave with the unrestrained tiger! Plus there's the matter of the paperwork…" the secretary pointed out.

I shook my head. "Look, she needs her medication right now. If she dies because she doesn't get it, I'll personally make sure that none of you can ever get jobs again… now move!" I shouted angrily. If Kisa died… getting a job would be the last of their worries!

I kept advancing and the secretary backed up a little this time. The man didn't, however. All it took was properly applied pressure and a kick to the right place on his leg, though. He went flying backwards and smashed into the support going into the waiting room.

With the opening now there, I ran to the door, full sized tiger on my heels! Grinning then, I saw Hatori just getting out of his car. He nodded at me when our eyes met. He then looked down slightly and saw Kisa beside me. Smiling, he walked up toward the door.

"Sir!" the exasperated secretary shouted behind me. Ignoring her, I walked out the door with Kisa in tow. Hatori patted her back as he walked past us…

"Now excuse me, is there a problem here?" I heard him ask behind me. This was followed by several flashes of light and I chuckled. He must have gotten permission from Akito to erase their memories… That would explain why he took so long.

However, having a full grown tiger in plain sight was never a good thing. I looked around rapidly and spotted a large, community park across the street. I dropped into a kneeling position suddenly and looked at Kisa. She took my lead and climbed onto my back. Standing up, I mentally cursed at how heavy she had become before breaking into a run across the street and into the park! We managed to find some heavy bushes however.

I set her down on the ground and flopped over on my side, panting. She was heavy… Kisa crawled around to my front and started licking my face again. I laughed and rolled away from her. She started to purr and promptly pounced onto me, licking my neck instead. I smiled up at her practically sitting on me and started scratching behind her ears, earning me more purring…

Relief flooded through me. I was so scared… I had almost lost her… again. Why did things like this keep happening? Couldn't we just be happy together and have a reasonably normal life? Well… normal wouldn't be a good way to describe our family, so I guess we were predisposed to suffer for it?

Kisa continued to purr at my attention. Her fur was soft though and I didn't see her in this form very often. I'd forgotten how nice it was just to pet her, like I used to when she'd get depressed all the time as a little girl still… She was a lot better now though so I was kind of glad that I didn't get to see this form very…

Poof. Oops. She was suddenly a very human girl… naked… and sitting on top of me… Her cheeks went red almost instantly as she looked down at me in slight surprise. The heat rushed into my cheeks as well… along with a few other places before I managed to slip out from under her and turn away…

"Um… oops?" Kisa offered meekly from behind me. I chuckled. Still somewhat pink, I slid her bag around to her, still not looking.

"Your clothes are in the backpack…" I finally managed to mutter. After a few seconds, Kisa giggled.

"I think someone saw more than they usually did. I guess we're even now?" she teased suddenly. My blush returned and I winced.

Sighing, I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Kisa. I didn't… mean to," I apologized.

Shock was an understatement as I felt her suddenly rest up against my back and wrap her arms over my shoulders! "I'm not mad, Hiro… Is it wrong to be… physically attracted to your fiancée… no, soul mate?" she asked gently. My blush came back but I was happy this time instead of just embarrassed…

"Kisa…" I muttered, turning slightly to look at her but definitely remaining eye level only. "You know that… I like everything about you."

Kisa smiled gently at me and rested her head on my shoulder. "Then you should know that I feel the same about you. We shouldn't be… embarrassed around each other," she murmured, sounding kind of tired. Her smile proved to be contagious… I leaned back into her and sighed contently. She was probably right…

"Although… you should probably get some clothes on before anyone sees us."

Kisa blinked once before blushing again and digging into the backpack. I politely stepped out of the shrubs and kept guard. Hatori could see me better this way, too. All of forty five seconds later, he pulled up in his car.

"Hiro… Nice job back there. It would have been bad if they injected her. Where is she now?" he asked after coming to a stop and rolling his window down.

I made a motioning towards the shrubs behind me. "She's getting dressed. Do you think she should get a checkup?" I asked. I'd already knew the answer but it was more of a routine. Hatori nodded.

"It's probably heat exhaustion, but I'd like to do a checkup just to be safe."

I nodded to him and we simply waited for Kisa to get dressed…

* * *

**Analysis**

* * *

It turned out that I had just gotten too hot and transformed from fatigue. It was so embarrassing though! Plus it was like I totally disregarded Hiro's warning. It made me feel somewhat stupid. I sighed and slipped off Hatori's examination table. 

Hiro was waiting in the main room next to my backpack. He smiled politely to me as I entered. "It was… just fatigue. Um… I'm sorry to have worried you so much and I know that I should have taken your advice but…" I started rapidly apologizing.

Hiro laughed and held up his hand. "Kisa, I'm not mad at you. Just be more careful next time. If something happened to you, I…" he trailed off and looked down slightly. I wandered over and flopped into his lap. He smiled again after a couple seconds of my neck nuzzling.

"I'm not going anywhere, Hiro. Don't worry… You're everything I need, remember?" I asked, causing him to blush again. Hiro rarely was embarrassed by anything, but I could always manage if I tried hard enough.

"Oh… you didn't eat after work, did you? Should we just eat here?" he suddenly asked. Oops. I knew I forgot something!

"Okay! You didn't eat either, so you'd better too. I only had time to pack light though, so we might have to go back to the apartment to get more food…" I explained, standing up off him so he himself could get up.

Hatori just watched us eat for a while. "You two should really eat after work. That was probably part of the problem right there."

I sighed and nodded. "I shouldn't run in this heat, either," I added, mentally smacking myself again.

Hiro smiled gently at me. "The important thing is that you're safe now. Just be more careful in the future, okay?" he asked. I nodded and smiled at him. Hiro was always so nice to me. It was a world of difference from how he treated the animal control workers. It made me realize just how special I must be to him…

After we were done eating, we said goodbye to Hatori and headed back out into the inferno…

* * *

**Déjà Vu**

* * *

It's been almost a week since the animal control incident. The temperature was cooling down finally as we moved into fall. Kisa was enjoying our walks back and forth from work more as well. Not only was it cooler for her, but she liked watching the leaves change colors. We were on one of these walks, when we ran into our four friends from school. Mori, Inoue, Ichijo, and Yoko were all having an outing. 

It didn't take Kisa long to convince me to go with them, of course. Or pay for all of the crepes. Or sit with them all on the shoreline of the small lake in the park. It was a peaceful enough of a day and the weather was pleasant, so I didn't have many complaints, really. Well, for the moment…

Then the day went to pieces. I heard the ever so familiar "Hey Kisa!" from the park entrance. Oh no…

Tohru ran up, waving her hand at Kisa. It reminded me of how a bird takes off when on the water, actually… As a side thought, why did she never say hello to me? She had quite a crowd herself, of course. Yuki and Kyo were tagging along as usual… although Yuki looked somewhat more distracted than usual. Haru, zoning as usual, and Momiji, looking about at the fall colors, were also lagging behind them slightly. Something seemed off, but I couldn't quite place it…

Kisa happily stood up and gave Tohru a big hug when she got there. "Sis! I was wondering when you'd get here…" she exclaimed. My blood cooled off a little. Oh, this was planned… They must be planning another get-together that they'll "forget" to invite me to… I stopped my thoughts halfway through. No… I'm sure Kisa just forgot last time. I can't get jealous just because she wants to see her sister.

I'd zoned so much that I hadn't realized that they had sat down and were now chatting… Err, and I was the only one standing. Kyo smirked up at me from his position to the left of Tohru. "Hey, while you're still up, you could get us some crepes too, brat."

"You can get your own crepe, you stupid ca…" I started to retort, glaring.

"Hiro… please… I am kind of hungry," Tohru added. Kisa looked up as well with those… eyes she got every once in a while. After a few seconds, I groaned and wandered back to the crepe stand. Why did I instantly do everything Kisa asked? The answer was obvious, but I could still complain, right?

I knew everyone's favorite flavors already. I was really wishing they had leeks, but I guess Kyo would get off lucky today. Wandering back towards the group, I'd noticed everyone had already taken up optimal seating positions… Kisa was nodding rapidly at everything Tohru said, being only a foot or so to Tohru's left. Kyo was to Tohru's right and simply watching her. Well, less her, more staring through her and probably deep in his thoughts… Haru and Momiji were down closer to the water and looking out at the scenery. Much to my surprise, Yuki was there as well, talking to them. Yuki seemed partly distracted, partly sad today and I wondered why. I didn't mind Yuki. He wasn't as obnoxious as half the people on this planet, so we got along better than I did with most of the family.

Inoue was about ten feet from them, watching the water as well. Yoko had just sat down next to her and started talking to her, managing to draw her attention away from the lake, for reasons that were starting to become somewhat obvious… Ichijo and Mori were actually cuddling however, so I figured it was best not to bother them, either.

Looking about at the groups, I realized that situation dictated that I not interrupt any of them without creating an extremely awkward faux pass. This left me with very little to do, so I leaned up against the tree about twenty feet from the groups and simply listened…

After about a half an hour, I managed to gather enough pieces to realize that Kisa and Tohru were planning a barbeque for next Friday. They mentioned something about it being the last one of the summer, too. That must have been why Kisa insisted on joining our friends. They must have been going too…? After getting the details, and not hearing an invite in my direction, I decided to stop listening.

My stomach growled about then and I sighed. The crepe hadn't been very filling… Looking around, I noticed nobody was paying attention to me anyway, so I could probably leave if needed. The sandwich shop was close to the park, so I'd just go there, grab a bite to eat, and then be back before anyone noticed that I was gone! Perfect!

Standing up then, I casually wandered towards the exit to the park. No protests were raised in my direction, so I assumed either nobody noticed, or nobody cared. Oh well. My stomach wanted more food and I couldn't exactly say no…

It only took me a few minutes to get to the shop and order. While I was waiting for the sandwiches, I decided that I should probably just get them to go and bring them back there to eat… Then I'd be gone for less time and not freak anyone out… if they noticed me missing, of course.

Five minutes later, I was happily wandering back into the park with my bag of sandwiches. At least I wouldn't starve to death while listening to them talk… Arriving back at the gathering location… I discovered it entirely devoid of human life. What.. the… hell?! What, did they just wait for me to leave so they could flee before I got back?!?

Growling, I committed myself to at least finish my sandwiches before attempting to figure out where they went. I wandered over to the shade under the tree and plopped myself down. Digging into my sandwich bag, I started angrily munching while just staring at the water. Why did this always happen to me? What was that woman's power?!

Movement out of the furthest corner of my right eye caught my attention then, causing me to glance in that direction. Haru and Momiji wandered up and looked out at the water… Well… that solved that problem. I'd just ask them where everyone went…

"Did you find him anywhere, Haru?" Momiji asked suddenly. Huh?

"No… He'd make a good ninja with his ability to vanish without a trace, though," Haru replied. Oh… they were overreacting, as usual. I'd make a good ninja, or would you all just make really crappy ones? I fumed and decided my presence could wait to be announced until after I finished my sandwich.

Momiji sighed and looked over at Haru… whom thankfully wasn't in-between us. "Why doesn't he just tell someone that he's bored? Does he enjoy making Kisa cry or something?!" he exclaimed after a few seconds… I came very close to gagging. Kisa was crying? Great… The silly girl has my cell number even! Why didn't they just try to, oh, I don't know, call me?!

Haru frowned a few seconds later. "Doesn't Hiro have a cell phone? Why did we send people out looking everywhere if we could just call him and attempt to reason with him from wherever he is?" he asked, somewhat to himself.

Momiji laughed. "Because Kisa was panicking, which caused Tohru to panic, which in turn caused us to attempt to calm them down instead of thinking up reasonable solutions?" he offered. I almost laughed. Haru did…

"Okay… do you have his number, then?" Haru asked. Ha! Like I would give my number to Momiji?! That would be a cold day in…

"Yeah. Kisa gave it to Tohru, whom gave it to me. Give me a sec…" he replied. …Okay, that woman was going to get an ear lectured off the next I saw her… I sighed as Momiji got his cell out and started what seemed to be a text. Wonderful.

I managed to finish the last bit of sandwich before he finished typing. It was either a really long message or…

My cell phone went off within seconds and I flipped it open. Yup… "Hey, Hiro! I was just wondering… you know… where you had went, Hiro. Everybody's a little, itty bit concerned… you know. We all wuv you and would like you to at least tell us you're okay and not mad, right? Text me back!" was on my screen. I almost hurled up my sandwich reading it… He acted obnoxiously adorable all the time… but then again, the girls ate it right up, so he probably did it on purpose… I hoped…

Haru and Momiji started at the sound of my cell going off and looked over at me leaning against the tree. I folded the phone back up and put it in my pocket, making sure to wrap my sandwiches back up before standing up with the bag. Both of them just vacantly stared at me as I finished licking the fingers off on my left hand and wandered over. "Hey you two. What's up?" I asked, being as casual as possible…

That did it. Momiji burst into copious amounts of laughter and fell over, rolling down the bank. Haru just watched him for a few seconds before chuckling himself and turning back to me. "Neat trick, that. You went for sandwiches…? That's it?" he asked, seemingly amused for once.

I nodded and smirked. "Hey, I was hungry and nobody seemed to be paying attention to me, so I figured I could be there and back again without anyone noticing," I explained, shifting to one foot idly. Haru smiled slightly.

"Well they were almost wrapped up when you must have left. We all got up to leave, planning on going to Shigure's, when we realized you were gone. Kisa assumed the worst again and freaked out, causing Tohru to panic too. You know them…" he summed up. I nodded.

"Well they somewhat deserved it for not noticing me leave in the first place…" I added, shaking my head slightly.

Haru nodded slightly but otherwise remained emotionless. "Kisa feels really bad about being distracted…" he started.

"Absorbed," I interrupted, correcting him.

"…absorbed by Tohru. She was crying and went back to the apartment to see if you went there. Tohru's with her. Yuki and Kyo are looking around downtown," he finished. I sighed… again. Why did everyone always overreact to things?

After a few seconds, I snorted. "Well, that's what they get for overreacting, no?" I asked, shaking my head. After Haru looked over at a recovering Momiji, as if asking for assistance, I took that moment to wander past him and towards the park exit. I was decidedly thirsty after my sandwiches… plus I was still angry at Tohru so it would probably be best if I didn't see her yet. I might dig myself into a hole again and hurt Kisa's feelings…

"Momiji, go tell the other's that we found him, okay?" Haru spoke behind me. After a few seconds, he caught up and walked along with me. I said nothing. He matched my silence.

It was almost ten minutes before we got to a café. I didn't feel like going back to the sandwich shop, but I felt like something carbonated and preferably heavily caffeinated… It might help with my headache, anyway. We sat down at one of the outside tables. After about a minute, a waitress got to us. Both Haru and I ordered a soda.

For a while, we just sat there sipping our drinks and watching the dying sun. Overall, it was a bland day with only touches of miserable. Even though I've had worse days, this one still left a bad taste in my mouth. What exactly did Tohru have that I didn't? Every time we got around her, it was like Kisa's attention was magnetized directly to Tohru only!

Looking back over at Haru, I discovered that he was still just staring at the sky. I was being inconsiderate… "You should have something to eat too," I finally said, sliding the bag over towards him. He stared at me for a few seconds before digging into the bag and pulling one out. Didn't think he'd turn that down… I liked Haru. Not much for table conversation… but sometimes that was a good thing!

After a little over a minute, Haru was already halfway through the sandwich! He must have been hungry… Suddenly, I heard a low beep come from his direction. He pulled in cell out briefly and looked at it. I studied his face while he read, but there was no reaction to study of course. He'd make a really good poker player…

The phone disappeared shortly after, almost as fast as he had brought it out. He finished his sandwich in record time and proceeded to stare up at the sky again. I silently agreed and watched the clouds drift along the darkening sky…

Maybe it wasn't Tohru, entirely? I did have a tendency to be snide sometimes. Even when I don't mean it to be, sometimes what I say hurts people anyway. I don't understand how Kisa could put up with that… but that probably made Tohru a lot more appealing to talk to, anyway. I sighed and looked over at Haru. It was worth a shot… "Hey Haru… why do you like Tohru so much? You seem to hang around her a lot…" I asked suddenly.

Haru slowly lowered his head back down to where he was looking at me again. "Well… it's not just Tohru. Yuki and Kyo hang out with her a lot too, and I enjoy hanging around them. Tohru's really friendly too, so I suppose that helps…" he tried to explain, not really revealing any insights that I happened to be looking for. Hmm.

"Well… why do you think they hang out with her, then?" I asked, trying to dig a little further. If I could figure out what they liked in Tohru, maybe it would be the same as what Kisa liked and I could try to duplicate it!

Haru pondered for a while on that before shrugging. "Both of them see something in her, I guess. I… don't think it's the same thing, but it makes both of them enjoy being around her. I guess… it completes some part of them that they think they lack," he added, looking down towards the center of the table.

My headache got worse suddenly… Kyo was easy. He was never really accepted by the family, being the cursed zodiac cat, but Tohru openly accepted him. Actually, she wanted to be friends with him… so of course he'd enjoy being around her! Yuki was always accepted by people in school though… and all the zodiac members seemed to like him. I'd heard that he didn't have a good relationship with his parents though… Could there be something to that…?

My train of thought switched tracks then. That didn't explain Kisa, though. What was she… missing that Tohru could so easily supply to her?! Why couldn't I give it to her as well? I thought rapidly about how they had met. Kisa stopped speaking… wanted to quit school due to the teasing… Akito injured her and I was too much of a coward to risk getting close again… Then Tohru came out of nowhere… and did exactly what I usually did. She cheered Kisa up… gave her a reason to speak again.

Things got cold again… Tohru saved Kisa in her time of need. I was too much of a chicken to… That's it. There wasn't any way that… I could copy what Tohru has. It was impossible for me to change the past. I was a coward and it had marked me forever. From Kisa's perspective, I could probably never be as "nice" or "wonderful" as her "Sis" was… So what?! Should I just be happy being second? I'm just thankful that Kisa still likes me, after I ditched her like that… I…

"Are you okay, Hiro? You're kind of pale…" Haru suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I looked around, somewhat dazed. Things… didn't feel as real as they used to. "Um… yeah, I'm fine. Just… thinking," I finally explained, looking back at him.

After several seconds, he smiled slightly. "If your thinking makes you pale, you probably should stop."

I didn't answer at first, but frowned instead. "Then… why does Kisa like her…" I finally asked, hesitantly. Haru stopped smiling and looked towards the sky again. I waited patiently.

"Well… Tohru helped her out when she was suffering… and they developed a kind of sister relationship after that," he explained, unknowingly agreeing with everything I'd just thought. I looked down at the table instead. So… I really couldn't do anything.

Haru was looking back down at me when I glanced back up again. "Hiro… Kisa loves you as well, if that's what you're leaning towards… You know that," he finally said, partially reading my thoughts.

"Yes… but she loves Tohru more, doesn't she? I mean, I couldn't singlehandedly capture Kisa's entire consciousness for hours at a time even if I tried," I replied, growling slightly and looking back down towards the end.

Haru chuckled then, which both intrigued and annoyed me at the same time. "I see. So… you're jealous of Tohru still. What, do you want them not to have that relationship anymore?" he asked hypothetically towards me. I sighed.

"No… I'm happy that she… likes Tohru. Anything that makes Kisa happy has my full support but… I just wish it… was something I could do, too."

Haru nodded. "Your devotion is something out of legend, Hiro. You'd do anything for Kisa. Kisa sees that. It's very important to her. She's engaged to you after all and loves you very much. So if you think along those terms… you're Kisa's stability. Kisa can depend on you for anything, right?" he explained, stopping long enough to see me nod. "Then that's what her relationship with Tohru is. She's depending on both of you to be there for her, while trying to make herself worthy of that attention. Stop me when this is sounding familiar…"

I sighed again and nodded. "So… Tohru and I have reasonably the same relationship with Kisa. Mine's just… intimate," I reasoned. This was like after the dance too…

Haru shook his head. "Kisa loves Tohru, yes. But Tohru is her sister. You're her lover. There's quite a difference there," he added, causing me to blush. He shook his head after a few seconds. "You know what I mean, Hiro. Just make sure Kisa sees Tohru more often and you won't get that concentrated effect you seem to hate so much."

I chuckled. Concentrated effect? That's a clever name for it… "Heh… it's quite something, isn't it?"

Haru gave a single laugh and smiled again. "Who knows… Have you ever tried it? From what I've seen, Kisa intently absorbs everything you say too. You just…" He started to struggle for words slightly and I tilted my head at him. "…well… you just don't talk as much," he finally finished, obviously not able to find a better wording. I laughed anyway…

"I don't think I could match Tohru in that aspect… but thanks…" I said after recovering. Haru nodded to me and looked back up at the sky. I guess… Tohru's relationship was a lot like mine. Hmm. That's probably why I got so jealous constantly… I silently vowed to keep my thoughts in check from now on.

It started to get dark and the waitress delivered our bill to us. After I paid it, Haru and I started walking back towards my apartment. Kisa was probably worried… but Tohru was with her so she should be reasonably okay. I… felt that I could probably understand Tohru a little better now, so it would be fairly safe for me to see her again.

Unlocking my apartment door on first floor, I let myself in. Well… the lights were on anyway. Wait… Haru stayed outside and only next to the door? Why did he…?

Kisa collided with my chest suddenly… Both of us exited the apartment again, me going back first. Haru waited for us to crash into the floor before he turned and wandered in through the open door… He could have warned me!

My thoughts were cut short by Kisa kissing me. I kissed back for a few seconds before breaking it and smiling up at her. She was crying though and went in for another before I stopped her, motioning to the hallway. "This would deeply disturb many of our neighbors… We should at least move into the apartment," I reminded. Kisa turned slightly pink but only buried her face in my chest… Okay. Guess it was up to me then…

I lifted her up and carried her back into the apartment, kicking the door closed behind me. Tohru was sitting on the end of the couch when I set Kisa down in the middle. Haru was in the recliner on the other side of the coffee table. Tohru smiled timidly at me, but I smiled back this time and nodded to her. Her eyes widened in surprise slightly…

"Thank you for helping Kisa today. Can I get everyone something to drink?" I asked, looking at each. Tohru seemed quite surprised but rapidly recovered when Haru asked for tea. I wondered if it was some psychological thing when someone ordered a drink. Was it terribly hard not to order the same thing?

After getting four glasses of tea made, I wandered back into the living room and set them down in their respective places around the coffee table before flopping down in the recliner. "I'm so sorry, Hiro! I didn't mean to get distracted again!" Kisa apologized almost as soon as I sat down. She looked close to crying again so I smiled gently at her.

"Don't worry about it, Kisa. I was just hungry and going to go get a sandwich, that's all. I wasn't bored or anything…" I explained, only partially lying.

Kisa sniffed a few times and looked down at her tea. "It… still doesn't excuse the fact that I totally ignored you for a half an hour…" she added.

I shook my head. "If I expected you to spend time with me constantly, I wouldn't be a very good future husband now would I? Your relationship with Tohru is important to you, so I fully support it, don't worry," I explained in addition. At least I hoped to think so soon. I just needed a little more time to absorb everything…

Tohru looked surprised again but soon started to smile warmly at me. That… somehow made me happy. I know that Tohru thought I was too mean sometimes and… her smiling like that at me made me feel like… I was finally starting to change.

Kisa smiled at me after a few seconds and finally relaxed into the couch a little. She blinked a few times and then looked back up at me with those brilliant orange globes. She grinned at me after a few seconds of my obvious attention and tilted her head, causing her left bang to partially cover her eye. My heart skipped a beat and I couldn't help but smile back. Kisa loved me. I loved her. That was all that mattered. She also loved her sister. I could respect that. I… owed her sister for helping the one I love so much anyway!

I looked back over at Tohru, still smiling. Tohru just blinked at me for a few seconds before looking over at Haru with a questioning glance. As he was zoning, she probably didn't get much from him. After a second or so, she looked back at me and smiled again. "Um… is there something you… need, Hiro?" she asked, seemingly afraid I was going to snap at her again…

After staring for a few moments longer, I just shook my head and looked down again. "No… just… thank you. For… everything, I mean…" I finally spit out. Tohru looked shocked now. Kisa's eyes widened and she was just studying me. I felt a little uneasy under everyone's scrutiny and decided to keep my eyes on my drink.

After almost a minute, I took another sip of tea. Kisa had returned to smiling at me by then. Tohru looked a lot calmer now and started talking to Haru about the barbeque. Oh yeah…

"Um… I heard you guys talking about that. Do you… think that I could come too? I asked after she got done explaining the food they'd need. Haru was seemingly going with Momiji to pick the stuff up…

Tohru beamed over at me. "Of course you can come! You're welcome at anything Kisa and I plan, you know…" she replied. They had… been assuming my attendance all along? Kisa smiled and nodded as well.

"Of course we want you to come, Hiro! We actually have a job for you to do as well, if you'd like to help," Kisa added, tilting her head questioningly at me. Okay… they had surprised me, I'll admit.

I blinked. "Oh? What do you need me to do?" I asked, starting to be happy again.

Tohru replied instead. "Kyo and Yuki are setting up yard games, but it would probably be easier for them if you were there to not only brainstorm them, but help them set it up as well," she explained. Oh… Well… working with the stupid cat would be annoying, but I'd do it for Kisa.

I smiled and nodded. "Sure. I'll help with entertainment…" I agreed. Tohru and Kisa both smiled even more.

"Thank you, Hiro! I'm sure you'll be a huge help!" Tohru exclaimed. I nodded to her and the four of us continued discussion of the barbecue…

* * *

**Comfort Zones**

* * *

It was almost an hour until they left. I sighed. I can't believe the things Kisa manages to talk me into! Hadn't it been a long enough day already?! 

Kisa adjusted the water again and finally turned the shower on after she seemed satisfied that it was of the perfect temperature… She then smiled back at me and rotated to sit on the edge of the tub, right in front of the curtain. I blushed again and sighed, still sitting on the bathroom counter. This… was awkward but…

Movement attracted my attention suddenly and I looked back up at Kisa. My eyes widened slightly and I looked down again, blushing more. She had let her underwear pool with the remainder of her clothes on the floor. Now without clothes, she joined me in blushing slightly before sitting back down on the edge of the tub.

Were we really ready to take a shower together? I asked myself that for the hundredth time as I slowly looked back up at her. I… shouldn't be… afraid to look at her. She was my fiancée. It was… okay to see her like this, right? Not that it mattered all that much as I soon forgot what I was thinking about anyway…

Kisa… was beautiful in every sense of the word. That's really all I could think… do… was absorb her loveliness. She blushed after I stared at her for a few seconds. "Um… we…well?" she asked, raising her arms up as if on display. I grinned at her.

"It's the same conclusion I always come to, Kisa. You're the most beautiful girl that I can even fathom…" I replied, causing her to go scarlet. Her smile remained though and she looked down at herself slightly.

She frowned after a second or so. "Even… even though I'm not... that I don't have… the biggest…" she started, stuttering heavily. Huh? She suddenly reached up and traced a finger lightly over her chest… Oh… Function, brain! You're kind of needed here still! We had discussed her breast size before of course, both for functional shopping purposes, and more intimate ones… She never seems to believe me, though. She was a size B, but I didn't have any problems with that whatsoever.

"Kisa… don't be embarrassed. Not all guys like large breasts… and I love all of you, remember?" I asked calmly. Her blush lessened slightly and she smiled up at me again.

"T…Thank you, Hiro. Um…" she spoke weakly… before looking down more at my only remaining article of clothing. Crap. She remembered. There goes my hidden little wish that she'd remain oblivious through the course of the shower…

I sighed. Well I might as well get this over with. She would have seen me sooner or later… but… something about the way she talked before… made me uneasy about something. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, though.

Sliding off the counter, I landed on the floor and stood fully. Sighing yet again, I pondered the best way to do this. After her display earlier, I was, and still am, overly… excited? Yes, that was a good word… Well… I'll just use Kisa's approach. Gritting my teeth, I just let my boxers pool at my feet…

I could physically feel the awkwardness saturate the air of the room. A void of silence came from Kisa's general direction. Embarrassed greatly, I just traced the floor tile patterns with my eyes… It was a pretty pattern. I'd have to remember to get something reasonably similar once I owned my own house…

After almost a minute and a half, I looked back up at Kisa. She wasn't blushing… but looked absolutely shocked… After another second, her eyes traveled back up me and to my face… where she saw me looking at her. She squeaked and looked away again. Okay, now she was blushing…

"Um… uh… err…" she started mumbling… Okay… What did that mean? Did she like or dislike… me? Or… maybe… Well her mother HAD sheltered her a lot… I didn't think… Didn't she know about…? Suddenly I felt bad about what we were doing…

"That's why I didn't want to shower with you last time…" I muttered, looking away again.

Kisa moved to look at me again in my peripheral vision. "Oh… uh… I see. Um… wow…" she started stammering. Wow? Did she… like me? That was a good sign. I glanced back at her and she was gawking again, causing me to blush… Well… she seemed to be impressed, anyway. My courage was bolstered, at least by a little. "Yeah… I can see your point. Um… just… wow. I didn't know that… um… it got… bigger…" she added. A little part of me died…

I couldn't help it. My hand was smacking my forehead before I realized what I was doing. "Wow… your mother has definitely sheltered you, hasn't she?" I asked, stunned by the situation.

Kisa blushed more and looked down slightly, nodding a little. "Well… you saw how controlling she is. Do you really think I could talk to her about… that?" she asked. I sighed and nodded, definitely seeing her point. "So… really the only things I know are… bad things that get talked about in the locker rooms… and a few small things I managed to work up the courage to ask Sis about…" she added. Another part of me died…

"You talk to Tohru about these things?!" I asked, eyes bugging out! Oh… no… That was… not something I wanted Tohru to have insight on…

Kisa looked taken aback slightly, but still nodded. "Well… she's really the only one I can talk to about things like that…" she rapidly attempted to explain. My ego shriveled from its prior boost. She wasn't comfortable enough around… me to talk about… these things? I looked down at the tile again in attempts to mend my ego…

Kisa's eyes widened a split second later and she covered her mouth briefly. After rapidly shaking her head, she added, "That's not what I meant, Hiro! I trust you but… it's just that… you're a boy and…" Oh… Now I'm a "boy", am I? I guess if she considered me immature and young, as well as male, it was reasonable that she wouldn't talk to me about such things… Mentally, I shrank more. Well… it had the same effect on other parts of me, too…

Kisa finally dropped her head. "Oh no… what did I say now? I'm sorry, Hiro. I guess I'm just not very good at keeping my feet out of my mouth…" she muttered, eyes watering up. I sighed and walked over to her, sitting down on the floor and leaning against the tub next to her.

"Don't worry about it, Kisa. I can understand why you didn't want to talk to me about it…" I replied finally, resting the side of my head against her knee. After a few seconds, I heard her sniff again and looked up and around at her. She was crying again… Switching to my knees, I leaned up and snatched a tissue out of the box on the counter. I promptly began to dry her cheeks off, causing her to smile again.

After a minute or so of recovery, she slipped off the tub edge and joined me on the floor. "Thank you for being understanding, Hiro," she spoke softly. I blushed slightly from feeling her skin as she leaned against my shoulder… but nodded anyway. Then she looked slightly quizzical at me. "Um… why did… you shrink again?" she asked. I couldn't help it and laughed.

"I'm probably getting more used to you, know. Plus this… isn't exactly a situation that would… excite me like that," I explained, smiling over at her.

She tilted her head slightly, but nodded after a few seconds. "I… think  
I understand. So just being loveable with you doesn't trigger that," she reasoned, mostly to herself. I just nodded idly. She pondered for a few seconds before rotating slightly and leaning on my shoulder with her front instead of side! My eyes widened and I blushed more almost instantly!

"Kisa!" I exclaimed, moving away from her slightly. When I looked to figure out what she was doing, she was looking down again with a very stunned expression. What was she doing?!

"Wow… Cool…" she suddenly muttered. There goes a third part of me. I'll miss you all… She was experimenting?!? With me!?!

I sighed and shook my head. "You're such a brat sometimes…" I muttered. She just grinned in my direction and stood up.

"You know… we're probably lucky we can't run out of hot water…" she commented.

I blinked once before laughing. "Yeah… or that our neighbor's aren't concerned yet… Shall we actually take a shower, now?" I asked, sticking my tongue out at her…

She smiled and nodded, seemingly back to the old Kisa again. I nodded as well and both of us entered the shower…

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, really. We mutually agreed that it was best if we simply took turns instead of washing each other. Kisa was just rinsing her hair when she turned and smiled to me.

"Hey Hiro… Do you think you could do me a favor?" she asked innocently. I smiled and nodded of course. I'd say no? "Could you… get my back for me? We never did get the back scrubber from my house and my arms have trouble reaching…"

I laughed and moved closer to her. She turned around and leaned slightly against the wall of the shower as I soaped my hands up. I couldn't really complain as her skin was so soft. It felt nice to simply run my hands over… She must have been doing too much training with me though, as her back muscles were awfully tense. I worked out one of the knots I found…

She moaned and smiled back at me. She liked it? My washing turned into a back massage instead. From the sounds she was making, I'd say I did a fairly good job. Both of us enjoying ourselves, we took almost fifteen minutes on the massage alone. Well, this wouldn't do if we had to save time… but it was definitely fun!

After she was massaged from neck to lower back, she gave one last content moan and leaned off the wall again. I stepped back and bowed to her. Laughing, she leaned forward and caught my mouth with hers…

This was a slightly new experience, kissing in the shower. At first, I thought she had just enjoyed the massage and was saying "thank you" to me… but she rapidly started probing with her tongue next. Was this… really a good idea? Uh…

My brain shut down rapidly though when she deepened the kiss and pressed into the top of me… My hands started exploring her back then, earning another moan out of her. Then I pushed her back against the wall and…

A bolt of feeling shot up my spine and I rapidly backed off! Oops… Kisa was blushing deeply now and started idly rubbing a spot about an inch above her bellybutton. My face rapidly matched hers… "Uh… sorry Kisa. I… didn't mean to," I apologized… Note to self, keep at least nine inches in-between us in potential future situations like this!

Kisa shook her head and smiled. "It's… okay. I didn't mind… and it was partially my fault, remember?" she answered.

I sighed and leaned back against the back wall of the shower. Letting myself relax, I simply slid down the wall and sat on the floor of the shower. Kisa smiled softly and lowered herself as well, crawling towards me. I just watched her as she crawled up to me, and then rotated around to snuggle in next to me in the back of the shower, wrapping her arms around my right. I just sighed.

For a long while, we just cuddled there letting the water run over us. It was very relaxing. We were… closer now. Not just physically… but…

After fifteen minutes or so, both of us got out of the shower totally relaxed. For once, we actually got dressed in the same room even. Only up to our underwear, though. Kisa then pounced on me and let me carry her into the bedroom. It was almost midnight and quite time for sleep, as we had work in the morning.

"That was fun. We'll have to take showers together all the time…" she murmured after snuggling into me as I turned out the lights.

I laughed. "You just want the free backrub, don't you?" I asked, teasing.

Even in the dark I could see her smirk. What I'm now dubbing as evil Kisa replied, "Well I could pay you for them if you wanted…" She then nuzzled into my neck and licked. She got me to gasp anyway before I stopped her. The side she always showed me seemed so much bolder!

"Now now, silly. If we start anything now, we're going to be very sleepy restaurant workers in the morning…" I reminded. Kisa playfully pouted for a few seconds before nodding and snuggling into me again.

"Oh fine. We'll play more in our dream then, okay?" she added. I sighed… This was going to be a long night, I had a feeling…

* * *

**Chapter 19 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Yay! Almost in the twenties! Oh, and yes, in case anyone can't tell, I had two reasonably short chapters here that I crammed together… so basically you get THREE chapters at once! SHOCK! I had to trim them down a little so the whole thing wasn't thirty pages anymore… but I kept the solid storyline anyway. However, I apologize in advance but I can't match Naruto. This will be the end of the filler for a little while. Heh. Next chapter starts the Dark Prince arc… It's scary though, and definitely turns the story into somewhat darker and more mature tones after a while.

This chapter was cute and happy, though! Well… mostly. Beyond Kisa almost dying and Hiro's angst, anyway. I decided that I needed to show more of the other characters though and possibly develop their relationships a little more. Personally, I like Hiro and Haru's relationship. They have that mutual understanding thing going on. And now I'm not quite sure why I asked people to vote as there are absolutely no votes for Yuki. I guess he'll remain single for all eternity.

Well I hope everyone enjoyed these chapters! I'm looking forward to the next arc! It should prove to be scary… Heheh!

**Individual Review Responses: **

**Arc Knight:** Well just a minor few mature scenes in the filler. The rating increase officially is raised right away due to my sheer level of paranoia about it, but it will be a little bit before anything sexual majorly increases it. A lot of the rating increase is due to gore as well that I'm preparing for. I apologize for the light drama though, but everyone needs a break, ne? Don't worry. Drama will flood out in the next arc… Very nice guesses, by the way. Let's see what you can conclude from these chapters… Thank you again for reviewing and I hope you enjoy these chapters as well…

**Lightningstrxu:** Machi huh…? I'll consider that. In truth, I hadn't decided what to do with either Yuki or Kagura if Kyo and Tohru got together. I guess it requires more thought. And yeah… I'm trying to give his mom a little more spotlight so people realize she at least has a personality. And I thought that I got Ayame's long speech fairly in character, too… Heh… He's hard to write in though. Almost as hard as Ritsu is… Speaking of, he'll get some stage time next chapter as well. Yeah… Well I do hope you liked these chapters and I thank you for reviewing!

**Red Shagging Couch:** Aww! I hope you get better! Of course, you probably ARE by now with as slow as I update. And yes, personally Momiji is very fun to write into the storyline. It looks like Kagura and Momiji are both destined to remain single however, with the sheer volume of votes for Kyo x Tohru. Heh… Maybe they themselves would make a cute couple? Just a thought. It would be… extremely weird. And yes, I tend to get extremely emotional during some parts of writing… and then it gets me worked up and I just keep writing more and more of the angst… so they tend to come in bursts. Aww… No more cookies? -sniffles- But I hate ice cream… Well… Nevertheless, I do hope you enjoyed these chapters and thank you for reviewing!

**Princess Lady Subaru:** Life in general has ups and downs… Heh… And anyone who has read the manga probably saw it coming… but I couldn't exactly… well I guess I COULD cut out her brain and replace it with a few Tohru-clone parts… but that would just be creepy. And yes, their engagement is still one of my favorite scenes… But it wasn't spilling so much as Kisa just needing someone to talk to… Silly. Well I hope you enjoyed these two chapters and I thank you, once again, for reviewing! -smiles-

**Ronandhermy:** -blinks- Yay! Oblivion! And… um… I think my COMPUTER may have wilted… -pokes it- It's still not entirely healthy, but at least I can get this posted. And if you didn't like the slowness, you probably won't like these chapter's either. Heh. They're just filler until I get back to college, though. I promise lots of excitement in the next arc! -grins- And yes, I did know that… but many people online refuse to acknowledge that and still feel that Yuki and Tohru are the best couple. This was partly out of curiosity as well as to help me make up my mind, as I don't really have a problem with either couple. Also, it was to save myself from extreme violence from one side or the other… Heh. Stalkers are okay to some degree… but stalkers with sniper rifles are never a good thing. -twitches- Anyway… Yes, Kisa was traumatized and thus, extremely clingy. She's slightly better in these, ne? You'll have to wait until next chapter to get some of the School's viewpoints, though. They have to get back there first, remember? -sticks tongue out- And yes, Hiro deserves to be upset as much as Kisa is justified as she had nobody else to talk to about things like that. So it kinda works out like that. I hope you enjoyed your trip, however. Thank you again for reviewing and I hope you enjoy these chapters.

**Anonymous:** The story was Romance/Supernatural before… and it will soon get to those supernatural elements… but I decided that the supernatural elements were being used in an action/adventure way… so I'll just change it. And yes, the rating boost is for more sexual elements added as well as potential language increase… but it's also for the blood and gore that simultaneously follows the adding of the supernatural elements… heh. The story slowly turns into more action while retaining the cuteness, fluff, and drama. They will still be there, don't worry. Does that explain it a little better? Oh… and "allowed" to have a sexual relationship? I make a point to keep the story as secular as possible, but I also never mentioned that they were in a religion that restricted that. It was mainly coming from a more… moral base on their part. Just a thought… I also admit to not being familiar with Japanese law so I have no idea of their view on the matter. -shrugs- Sorry. Your wording just interested me, that's all. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed these two chapters as well.

**TatianaSaphira:** Oooh! Happy 33rd birthday to you, then, belated or advanced as it may be. -chuckles- And yes, Hiro is very reserved for his age. It's mostly from fear of hurting Kisa I think. I don't know exactly as all of the characters have a life of their own. Of course, it might be a little leakage from my own personal stereotype vendetta… but I try to keep that to a minimum as to not rant. Heh. Hiro is his own individual, after all. And you're right about Kisa's side too. Normally I'd have figured she'd go to Tohru, but as Tohru doesn't have much actual experience in this kind of thing, that's kinda hard to do. Thank you for the compliment, though. -smiles- Thank you also for the review and I hope you enjoy these chapters just as much, if not more than the last!

**egocentric-theorem:** Yes! We have been quite a ways, ne? And it really was the official end of that arc. Next comes the Dark Prince arc… but that starts on twenty. And it's not just me, silly! -laughs- All of your reviews help a lot too. I tend to lose my focus after a while, but I absolutely love to entertain people and all of your reviews tell me that you are truly being entertained. Surely, if everyone just ignored the reviewing option, I'd come to the conclusion that nobody was actually reading my story and thus, give up. So you see… … Oooh, cookies! -pounces them and munches- Mmm…ph… anyway… thank you for the review and I hope you liked these chapters as well!

**Aysu kun:** You aren't Renia anymore! -blinks- Well I shall accept you just as well under this name as well… -chuckles- And yes, I'm sorry for taking so long to update. That time around, I was just somewhat depressed and didn't feel like writing anything. This time it's legit computer issues, though! -sweatdrops- You must have been bored to re-read it all, though… -laughs- You really shouldn't tease your sister though. I'd imagine it's hard not to… but I wouldn't know from personal experience. I don't have siblings myself… And I know, I was seriously considering the ninja scene… but I figured it would just confuse people and add unneeded length to the chapter. It would have also broken the flow of the chapter and destroyed some of the adorable fluff that was Hiro asking the question. -smiles- Well I hope these chapters were worth your wait! Thank you for reviewing!

**Sarah:** Oooh! A new reviewer! Thank you! I hope this chapter matches or exceeds your cute expectations too! -grins-

**Ninde-chan:** Hehe… Was that your subtle hint that I'm too slow at updating? -sticks out tongue- I know, I know… but there was a logical excuse for it this time! Well I do hope you like this chapter as well and I sincerely thank you for reviewing! -smiles-


	20. Summer

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Chapter 20 - Summer

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Wandering towards the window, I stared out at the crisp and rapidly warming morning. It was almost noon but the temperature was starting to shift towards the cooler side. Soon now, school would start back up, and then winter would come. I chuckled to myself, almost comparing the two. School wasn't that bad though. I had Hiro with me all the time…

I frowned briefly afterwards. Of course, it was my last year, while Hiro still had one more to go. Well… I'd just have to remember to visit him as much as possible during school next year! Although if I got a job…

My attention was distracted suddenly by Momiji rushing past the window and laughing. I smiled again and shook my head. For a high school graduate, he certainly acted like a little kid sometimes! I giggled and turned around again, only to see Mother turning the corner from the back. It was the first time that I had been back here since I moved in with Hiro… The only time I had met her really was inviting her out to eat or when she visited. It was still somewhat awkward between us at times, I guess.

She smiled at me however and nodded. "Are you enjoying your friends' barbeque, Kisa?" she asked as she approached. I smiled back and returned her nod.

"Yes. Sis was right in celebrating the end of summer like this. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, anyway," I spoke after glancing out the window again.

Everyone was spread out to some degree. Sis was cooking at the grill, of course. Everyone loves her food and it was really no contest when thinking about whom would cook… Kyo was playing Frisbee with Yuki as well. It was strange because neither looked like they were really having all that much fun… It actually looked like they were trying to kill each other with each throw, actually? No surprises there, I guess. Rin and Kagura were watching the boys play at the moment. They had been doing volleyball earlier but had seemingly grown tired of it. Shigure, Hatori, and Ayame were on the deck instead. Hatori was simply observing the festivities while Shigure and Ayame talked. Where was Hiro?

Oh… Hiro stood in the middle of the yard looking highly irritated. A frantic, crying Ritsu was wobbling around him in slow but reasonably wide circles? Examining the scene closer, I noted that Hiro's cup was on the ground at his feet? Oh, I see. By deduction, Ritsu probably crashed into Hiro and made him drop the cup… Of course, in Ritsu's eyes, this was an unspeakable atrocity that should get him pummeled, if not executed. I wondered idly what Hiro was thinking at the moment…

"Oh yeah, I have your mail here that I forgot to bring last time. I figured it might interest you," Mother suddenly added, snapping me out of my observations.

Looking back towards her, I saw her grab some letters off the table and hand them to me. I smiled and looked at them one at a time… There was junk mail… credit cards... a bank statement… and a letter from a college?

I glanced quizzically up at Mother again but she just smiled happily. This was probably what she thought would interest me. I examined it more carefully and realized that it was somewhat difficult to read… as it was in a different language. English? Wait a second…

Opening the letter, I read it as best I could. From what I knew of English, I could at least tell that it was an… application? For a college in… AMERICA?! I blinked and looked back up at Mother, who promptly looked away slightly. I frowned again… What was she up to NOW? Looking back down at the letter, I read more…

It seemed that not only was it an application, but they were personally inviting me to attend their college after I graduated. They knew about my interest in visual design it would seem… and were offering me a full scholarship?! This was… I sighed.

"You don't have to decide right away, Kisa…" Mother reminded after I sighed. I nodded to her. This brought further complications, of course. Well… for now, I'd decide later…

Looking back out the window, I could see Ritsu rolling around in the grass, large green stains appearing on his kimono already. Hiro looked frustrated at this point. On Ritsu's next roll past, Hiro lashed out weakly with his right foot and bumped Ritsu in the side, causing him to lock up instantly, as usual. Heh. I smiled at Hiro through the window and wandered towards the side door, ready to join the fun for today. That WAS what this was about, right? I might as well enjoy it while I can…

* * *

**A Unique Death Match**

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Today was going surprisingly well, now that I got Ritsu to stop freaking out, anyway. Normally I don't like events like this, but Kisa had really wanted to come, so how could I possibly say no? Although for wanting to come, she had certainly been inside the house for a while. Her mother had better not be giving her more problems! 

I decided to distract myself instead. I did realize that I tend to get myself into trouble when I get worked up over something, so it's generally best to switch brain gears. I headed over to the grill instead.

Tohru smiled and looked up at my approach. I attempted to return the smile to the best of my abilities. If I looked pissed at her, she'd probably freak and end up destroying our food… then I'd be the one to get yelled at, of course. Eh…

"Hello, Hiro. Are you enjoying the party so far?" she asked politely as I walked up.

I sighed and shrugged. "Well, it's a little too warm to be having this kind of party and somewhat uncomfortable. Plus there could be more spots to sit in the shade," I commented. Tohru blinked a few times and seemed slightly bewildered. "And of course, Shigure could always install a pool… but we all know he's too cheap to do that…" I continued, smirking slightly. Kyo looked away from Yuki then and glared in my direction. What?! I wasn't attacking her or anything!

Tohru had lost her smile slightly and seemed to be turning towards being flustered. "But other than that, it's great. When is the food supposed to be done, though?" I finished. She regained composure and sighed. Whew. That was a close one… Kyo relaxed slightly and just started to smile when Yuki's Frisbee throw went into the back of his head and he went over sideways. I resisted chuckling…

"Oh… well I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. The food should take only a few more minutes… but I can try to find you a chair if you want…" she offered, seemingly concerned. Wow… She can be so compliant sometimes.

I shook my head slowly. "Nah. I'm fine with the standing. I think I'll go watch Yuki and Kyo for a few minutes."

Tohru went back to her absolute beaming and nodded at me. I mentally sighed and walked towards Yuki and the recovering Kyo. Wow. A minor conversation with her and I'm already feeling drained. On further examination, I decided that I was still a little thirsty as well, having been disarmed of my drink before even a sip last time.

Looking back over towards the punch table, I looked at the three kegs of the cool liquid. Hmm. Ayame had brought them… so it was somewhat risky. Who knows if he spiked the stuff or not… Maybe it was a good thing Ritsu HAD knocked the first attempt out of my hand? He was so weird sometimes.

All I had been doing was minding my own business and heading back towards the shade with the cup! He suddenly fled from out of nowhere, being chased by what looked like an extremely angry squirrel… I don't know the details there, though. Needless to say, he wasn't paying attention to me and brushed me as he went past. All it did was bump me and tip my cup out of my hands…

He noticed though and instantly freaked, crawling around on the ground in a large circle around me, being followed by the rabid squirrel. Thankfully I remembered what Shigure had said and bonked him in the ribs before he got too loud…

I shook the memory out of my head and focused back on the game for a little bit. Kyo and Yuki seemed fairly evenly matched but neither was trying very hard. This heat slowed everything down, though…

Movement to my left caught my attention though, and I looked just in time to see Kisa exiting the house. She seemed flustered and I got that distinct desire to kill the source again. She headed left and towards Tohru however, so I relaxed slightly. Tohru would definitely take care of her problems… but I might as well find something to do now for the remainder of the party.

Mentally chuckling to myself, I looked back at the Frisbee game. I watched it without commitment for a few minutes before Kagura and Rin wandered up and sat down to my right. "Hey Hiro! Enjoying the party?" Kagura asked out of nowhere, smiling at me.

"What, is it required that everyone ask that at least once today? Tohru asked me that too," I muttered, shaking my head slightly.

Rin chuckled softly. "Most would consider it a polite thing to ask… but I guess you're not exactly most people," she pointed out, seemingly amused. I gave a single laugh. "…but then again, I of all people can't exactly lecture on that either," she added as an afterthought.

Kagura's grin got wider. "Yeah, both of you are so choking on the atmosphere sometimes! Learn to smile once in a while!" she exclaimed playfully.

"Don't push your luck, kid. I might ask Hiro to beat you up for me…" Rin muttered, bonking her in the side of the head.

I laughed for real that time. "Yeah right… like you'd actually need to get someone else to do it!"

Rin smiled for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah… I forgot that Kagura's a pushover…" she agreed, smirking instead. Kagura's smile turned into a pout. Rin had changed a lot, I guess. Haru was really helping her, it would seem. She was smiling a lot more and actually bothered to talk to us, anyway. I sighed and looked back towards the game.

After a minute or two, Rin looked back over at me. "So… how's living with Kisa going?" she asked curiously.

Kagura's attention snapped back to me and she grinned again. "Yeah, you'd better be taking good care of her…" she added playfully again.

I chuckled. Like I wouldn't? "It's kind of hard to imagine treating her badly, really…" I replied, glancing over at her again. Rin just smiled but Kagura nodded.

"He has a point," Rin commented after a few seconds, looking back to Kagura.

Kagura just sighed and watched Kyo for a few more seconds. "Is there really anything you wouldn't do for Kisa?" she asked finally, seeming a little envious.

"Not much…" I replied, without really needing to think about it. It was true. No point in lying about it, anyway. I'd do practically anything if Kisa requested it.

Rin started smiling broadly then and I felt slightly colder… Uh oh. I saw it coming from miles off. "So have you done anything… with… Kisa, yet?" she asked, sounding extremely amused. Kagura's eyes widened and she snapped back to reality instantly. I just felt a little warmth come into my face…

"Heh… well if it truly is any of your business, we haven't done anything particularly extreme yet," I answered, smiling again.

Rin lost the energy that was in her smile but still seemed pleasant. She nodded. "I was just curious. It was just strange that you two are the furthest along, officially, of all the Sohmas' relationships… yet you're so innocent with each other," she explained, looking back at the game. I nodded slightly, but she continued before I could reply. "I was also curious how much of that was Kisa, and how much of it was your doing."

I thought about it for a few seconds before replying, "Probably a little of both, actually. I stop her if she gets too carried away and seems unsure of herself… but it's usually her signs that I'm reading in the first place."

Kagura smiled. "Such the gentleman, Hiro!"

"Well of course!" I exclaimed, smirking confidently, getting another laugh from her.

Rin suddenly widened her eyes and looked at me in shock. Huh? "Wait a second… cute and innocent little Kisa was putting the moves on YOU?!" she suddenly exclaimed in disbelief. Kagura burst into laughter and the heat returned to my face. Crude, yet effective… Back to the normal Rin, I see.

I lost my smile slightly and looked back at the game. "Well, if you put it that way… then yes, Kisa's always the one to take initiative," I answered, not bothering to smile anymore at all, now. The day seemed hotter now and I started debating how risky sampling the punch really was…

Kagura got quiet and looked down slightly, but Rin just tilted her head. "You're upset by that fact, obviously," she deduced. I nodded slightly and she continued, "You're afraid of hurting her, maybe?"

Was I afraid of hurting her? In ways, yes. I'd love it if I could truly show her how much I cared about her but… "She's not as fragile as you think she is, Hiro. Personally, I think she's the same as you… but if you both wait for each other…" Rin concluded, interrupting my thoughts. Huh.

"Well… I guess you have a point. I'll have to examine my feelings a little bit more, I guess," I responded, mostly to myself.

Rin smiled light and nodded again. "Of course, I can easy seeing you two going nuts with it… but if you ever need advice or tips and techniques to use on her, feel free to ask me for…" she started to add before I groaned and smashed my face into my knees… Kagura laughed again.

"Requesting change of topic, please!" I managed to groan out, still trying to drive the horrible thoughts from my head before my face got any redder!

Rin smirked knowingly at me before going back to watching Yuki and Kyo. I sighed and spent a few moments recovering my correct blood flow before looking up as well. Kyo was getting more and more irritated, which adversely affected his performance, of course. The more shots he just barely missed, the more pissed off he was getting. Stupid cat. I chuckled…

Then Kyo missed… His eyes widened as the Yuki threw the hardest one I've seen yet! He took a dive towards it and missed it by an inch if that! The curse was off his mouth far before he hit the ground… My eyes widened drastically as well. Now unimpeded, the Frisbee was now headed towards my skull at high velocity!

I fell backwards and watched the Frisbee fly barely over my head! Okay… that's it! I continued the fall and rolled backwards. Flipping up to my feet, I landed behind where the Frisbee dug into the ground, snatching it as I went. Kyo was now sitting from where he flopped, looking up at me with the same slightly confused look. Yuki just smiled softly and waved towards me, though. I see how it is…

Smirking back, I returned the power throw in the direction of his face… It made it to him in a second flat and he just got his hand up in time to stop it from smashing his nose in! He stared at it for a few seconds before narrowing his eyes. Mine followed suite. His smile never left his face, though.

He did a quick spin and whipped it back even faster! I sidestepped and snatched it out of the air as it went past me before also spinning and launching it back towards him. Kisa and Tohru, having looking up after Kyo's shouted expletive, were now watching curiously.

This WAS rather interesting. I'd never gone up against "prince" Yuki in anything before. I was somewhat eager to see who was better, I'll admit. Heh… That and Kisa was watching now, of course.

Yuki caught the next through as expected, but didn't send it right back. He instead watched me for a few seconds before lashing his hand out at blinding speeds! The Frisbee came at me… but it was at an angle? I've played Frisbee before though and knew exactly what a throw like THAT would achieve. I went the other way however and caught it AFTER it started to curve. Nice try, though…

I launched it back at a slightly upwards angle, next. As predicted, the Frisbee was almost at Yuki before it started its drift upwards. Yuki smiled and simply jumped into the air, still managing to snatch it at twelve feet off the ground! Okay, I was somewhat impressed. Nothing I couldn't do… but he did have some skill, I guess.

Tohru started clapping happily on the sidelines of course. Gah… Stupid woman. Yuki smiled politely and nodded at her. Kyo was recovering now and simply growled at him, of course. I sighed. Some days I think Yuki should enlist his fan club to carry around a Sakura petal background for moments like this. Would befit his image, anyway… Wait… most girls probably saw petals anyway so why bother? Hmm. Maybe I've been watching too much Anime, as a side note.

I blinked suddenly and realized I was glaring again. Crap! I'm starting to act like that stupid cat! I shook my head rapidly and cleared it. Maybe a few petals will disappear once I show them he's only SECOND best at Frisbee! Then I noticed it… Kisa was smiling and nodding at YUKI?! Damn it!

I did growl that time… Rin chuckled from behind me somewhere and I heard a drawn out "Aww" from Kagura. This managed to piss me off more, of course! "Just throw the stupid thing already, for crying out loud!" I shouted towards Yuki. He simply glanced back towards me again without losing his smile. My blood pressure spiked again…

Kisa stopped smiling and frowned towards me, too. What?! That… wasn't as bad as I used to… be… Was it? I frowned then. Why was it… so hard to change…? Yuki threw…

It was a violent thing unbefitting of his expression… which was kind of disturbing. It came in at blinding velocity and I barely managed to track it through the air. Then it took a smooth arc upwards! He copied me! At the higher speed and initial height in the first place, it was now almost ten feet above my head! Cheater!

Thinking fast, I violently lunged to the right then, getting a yelp from Rin and Kagura as I landed… briefly… right in front of them. I then used the trunk of the tree they were taking shelter under as a kickboard…

It was a stretch, to say the least. My arm couldn't possibly reach even after the kick off, so I flipped as I went through the air. Things seemed to slow down once more as my extended foot managed to kick the Frisbee out of the air! YES! I watched it go into a dead fall and start to sail past me. Managing to twist slightly in the air, I snatched it as it went past! Who was better NOW, Yuki?!

Then I noticed a slight hole in my plan… Now I was twisted at an angle… upside down… and fifteen feet in the air… Oops.

At least I managed to twist sideways before I smashed into the ground… I rolled as I hit and managed to take away most of the concussion from the fall. I skidded out of my roll on all fours and panted there briefly. Kyo snorted and broke into laughter almost instantly, of course! Shigure followed a split second later while Hatori just shook his head sadly. Airhead Riceball just smiled happily at me while Kisa looked slightly concerned…

Yuki just kept on smiling and gave a light nod to me, somehow managing to irritate me more. I sighed and kept my cool. Of course he thought he was better than me… for now… Kisa looked back to Tohru seemingly for reassurance before returning gaze to me, smiling this time. She then let out a slight giggle and tilted her head at me?

Kisa… was laughing at me?! I felt slightly unsteady and wobbled. No… that was jumping to conclusions and I mustn't do that. I shook my head and looked away from her again. I can't have that image when trying to beat Yuki! I whipped my arm out and launched the disk as hard as I could! Let's see how YOU like it, Yuki!

The Frisbee was almost fifteen feet above his head! HA! Let's see him catch THAT one! Yuki watched it come in and lost his smile slightly. Finally! Then… there it was… A brief smile flickered onto his face?

He leapt backwards then?! But the wall of the house was right behind… oh. He "landed" on the wall of the house and launched off it again, getting about the height my foot made off the tree! Well… that still wasn't enough…

He kicked… His sandal launched from his foot and managed to clip the Frisbee out of the air?! What the hell?!? The sandal took an inward arc while the Frisbee fell out of the air like a rock… Yuki landed on his sandaled foot and extended both of his arms… managing to catch the Frisbee in his right and the sandal in his left! Damn him! And his stupid smile was back…

Tohru squealed and hopped up and down, clapping happily. Kisa broke out laughing and clapped too?! No! That was… supposed to be for me… I sighed and looked at the grass stain on my knee. It would seem that I still wasn't good enough to look like a Prince to Kisa. "Hiro…" suddenly was mumbled by Kagura behind me.

I just shrugged and looked back up again… directly at the Frisbee heading into my face!? My hand shot up inches before it smashed my nose in! My hand went numb almost instantly and the Frisbee skipped off my hand and off to my left. My eyes widened as I lashed out with my left foot, barely managing to kick it into the air again and snatch it! Whoa…

Tohru smiled more and Kisa laughed again of course. I didn't really feel like winning so much anymore, though. Tossing it back, I saw Yuki give me a raised eyebrow look. It fluttered towards him at barely a fourth of the speed that my other throws had. Kisa lost her smile and blinked at me in confusion. Kyo also raised an eyebrow at me and stood up again…

…directly into Yuki's return throw… The Frisbee smashed into the back of his head and sent him reeling once more, shouting very nasty and terrible words. It cheered me up considerably…

Everyone broke into laughter then except Kisa, whom was still watching me curiously. Hatori rushed over to where Kyo was after a few seconds and started examining his still fallen form. Yuki joined after a few seconds, seemingly also concerned. Wait…

I glanced back towards Tohru and she was giving concerned glances to Kyo… She had been… watching the match the entire time? Come to think of it, she was watching their match before I got involved too! Sure enough… flames could be seen coming from the items on the grill… Crap. My stomach growled in protest…

Kisa started towards me then… seconds before Tohru turned around and saw the grill. Tohru's yip had Kisa spinning around again and soon both of them were panicking. Great… That's just… wonderful. I sighed again.

Kisa suddenly snatched the keg of punch off the table. Wait… wasn't that… She had the top off it before I could voice any warning whatsoever and was dumping it onto the grill. As another side note, watching punch catch fire is quite impressive. That had to have considerable amounts of alcohol in it for THAT to happen. I glanced over at Ayame who was conveniently not paying attention and ignoring Hatori's blatant glare.

Naturally, the fire was now WORSE and I could see what was left of the food rapidly… melting… Well I was too hungry to wait for her to grill up more food, so maybe I'd sample some later? Yuki came over with the hose then so I doubted they'd need my assistance. They have the ever perfect Yuki, after all. Instead, I wandered around the house again to get my bike… Time for more takeout…

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**Worried Thoughts Over Exploding Punch**

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Okay… that was a little weird. For some odd reason, when I tossed the punch onto the fire to put it out, it practically exploded! Wow… Sis seemed as confused as I was though so it must not have been something she was cooking. Thankfully Yuki came along with the hose and sprayed down the entire thing. Hatori was busy talking to Ayame at the moment so Kyo must have been fine after all. That hit looked kind of painful! 

Yuki and Hiro put up an awesome match, though! I guess neither of them really "won" after Kyo's head interfered though… Yuki seemed to have the advantage anyway though, so I didn't mind. Hiro can be sensitive about winning sometimes… but why did he look so sad towards the end? Wait…

I suddenly glanced around, only to find him missing… again… Oh no… Well… I WAS somewhat guilty for just ignoring him for a half an hour… and for some reason I think the match upset him… but he should have told me where he was going anyway! I sighed and walked over to Sis, who was getting more food for the grill.

"Have you seen Hiro? He disappeared after the grill exploded," I asked, somewhat concerned.

Sis stopped and looked up at me with a somewhat confused look. "Um… no, I haven't. Can't you find him?"

I sighed and shook my head. Why did this always happen? "Ha! The brat probably went to find something to eat after Tohru blew up the food. You shouldn't need to…" Kyo suddenly started to say, having walked in behind me to check on Sis it would seem. Until Yuki, also following, smacked him in the back of the head.

"Don't you ever think about ANYTHING before it comes out of your mouth, you stupid rat?" Yuki asked irritably as he kept walking. "More politely translated, you shouldn't worry about Hiro as he probably just went to get some food until the next round can be prepared, that's all," he added upon reaching Sis.

Sis frowned and looked frustrated suddenly. Kyo shook his head irritably and walked up beside Yuki as well. "I'm sorry that I destroyed the food…" Sis suddenly mumbled. Kyo just smiled gently at her and shook his head.

"Don't apologize. We're here to… help you carry the stuff out… so just cheer up and try again, okay?" Kyo stated more than asked, nodding to her. Sis smiled and nodded up to him and they just watched each other for a few seconds…? Uh… okay.

Deciding that I should probably try to find Hiro, I exited the house again. That's when I saw that his bike was gone from its original resting place. Great… He really DID leave. Well… he would probably return as he was my only ride… so it really didn't make sense to go look for him. I returned to the back yard to brood at the folding table instead…

* * *

**Tigers DO Have Fangs**

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The bike creaked slightly as I leaned it up against the side of the house again. It WAS getting somewhat old… Oh well. I'd hopefully be getting other forms of transportation soon anyway. I snatched the paper bag out from the basket and headed towards the back yard. I'd gotten enough for Kisa too, thinking she might be a little hungry by now. 

Kisa was sitting at the folding table when I got there. She seemed to be zoning though and looked a little depressed… Maybe I shouldn't have left without telling her… but I figured it was faster this way as she probably would have felt bad otherwise and wanted to go. I don't like doing it, but it's better than making Kisa feel bad by telling her I didn't feel like waiting for her "Sis" to make more food…

Yuki gave me a raised eyebrow and I walked past him, but I utterly ignored it. I walked up behind her and shook my head. Some alert martial artist. Was she that depressed suddenly? I smiled gently at her and patted her on the shoulder…

Yeah… totally should have seen that coming. She jumped, obviously startled. My eyes widened and I started to retract my hand… when she lashed her arms over her shoulders and firmly locked onto my arm! Her yank forward was perfectly timed with her right foot lashing back and sweeping my legs off the ground! Masterful!

I was almost proud of her technique, actually… until I went face first into the reasonably full keg of punch. Why did he have to bring three of them?! Tohru screamed as I crashed into the table, skipping sideways off the keg. The table's latch suddenly gave out and me, followed by both kegs of punch that remained descended to the ground. Sadly, my forward momentum still withheld enough to let me slide partially off the other side of the table and grind my face down the tree as the table collapsed. Crap… It just wasn't my day…

Then the keg of punch landed about four inches above my knees. Blinding pain shot up from both legs then and I winced! Then the second keg smashed into my back and crammed me forward into the tree more… and the ground of course. Goodbye air in lungs… I will miss you dearly…

My world finally stopped collapsing on me and I just lay there, ears ringing and extremely numb in the neck, back, and legs… Actually, my face kind of tingled too… I decided that my wisest course of action was to just rest there for a little bit, contemplating the reasoning behind me always getting the crap beat out of me when things involved Kisa.

"Hiro!" came an echo-y, Kisa-like voice from behind me. Oh, NOW she recognizes me. Ug. Well… I probably deserved this anyway… The table was nicely squishing my lower half so I couldn't rotate even if I wanted to. Great…

I felt the keg get lifted off my back suddenly, and the other simply shoved off my legs. Well… they might have lifted it too, but I could only feel my legs through pressure at that moment, so it was hard to tell. "What the hell were you thinking, Kisa?!" I heard Kyo say somewhere off to my right. Shut up, stupid! This was my fault!

I couldn't manage to speak however, and heard crying instead. Suddenly my upper half was elevated upwards to at least be at the same angle as my lower? My head was rested in Kisa's stomach and my chest in her lap, suddenly. It felt better nonetheless.

"He's stuck in the table. You have to move it apart a little in order to get him free…" Haru pointed out in a rather calm manner from my left somewhere. I tasted copper suddenly. Probably from my nose, I decided.

Suddenly the table started being folded upwards! Wait… my leg…! "Stop that, you stupid cat! His leg is stuck between the two pieces!" Yuki suddenly shouted from behind me. I sighed. Thankfully someone had common sense, anyway. I don't know about Kyo, but there's no way that MY leg can healthily deflate to the inch diameter required to get through the gap once the table was fully set up!

My leg was moved however and I felt myself being lifted upwards then, being dragged up by my lower half and the table. Pity. Kisa was really warm and soft, too… I felt myself being lifted off the table and leaned against the tree. Instantly, I felt her cling into my left side. I opened my eyes again slightly and smiled at her. She just whimpered slightly at me and buried her face again, though. I sighed and just rested there while Hatori kneeled down to check me out.

"You're amazingly lucky, both good and bad, Hiro. If you had been less conditioned than you are, you would have taken a lot more damage," he commented after almost a minute of examining me. Kisa squeezed into my side more. A dull ache was starting along my legs and I almost wished they'd stay numb…

I shook my head. "No… I deserved that. I should have told Kisa where I was going," I corrected, looking back down at her. She looked up from my chest then and nuzzled me on the neck, drawing forth a blush with this large of an audience… Tohru looked like she was about to explode and gush hugs all over us, of course. I sighed more contently this time and rested my chin on the top of her head.

"Hiro… I'm so sorry… I didn't know…" Kisa started to whimper out suddenly. I moved my other arm around her.

"You don't have to apologize, Kisa. You just reacted like you had been trained. It's my fault for forgetting that AND not telling you where I was going…" I explained.

Kisa sighed and looked up at me again. "Hiro…" she muttered before smiling finally and cuddling into me again. I chuckled and looked around for where the food bag landed…

Thankfully it had exited my hand and slid across the table before it collapsed. It was simply resting on the ground about three feet away from me. Interesting… I snagged it with my foot and flicked it towards me, catching it with my left hand.

Kisa must have felt the motion and glanced up at be briefly, before following my gaze to the bag. "Uh… you went to get takeout?" she asked, somewhat amused.

I grinned and nodded. "Enough for you, too," I added. Kisa smiled softly at me and leaned forward then… It was nothing deep… just a tentative, brushing one. Tohru was turning pink in my peripheral vision though so I decided to cut it short in light of our audience.

Tohru smiled after recovering and nodded to us before going back to the grill, seemingly intent on not making the same mistake. Kyo followed her over, as expected. Yuki stayed behind, however? "Are you to going to be okay?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

I nodded to him. "Yeah. I'm just going to rest here for a little while and munch. Beyond that, I don't think I could have better company…" I replied, smiling back at Kisa. She blushed and nodded, moving off me slightly and starting to unpack the bag.

Yuki smiled more and returned my nod. "Very well. Good game, by the way. You definitely have some skill! More than that stupid cat, anyway…" he added. I laughed. Most of the bitterness had dissipated by now anyway.

"Should I take being compared to Kyo as a compliment, then?" I shot back, tilting my head slightly.

"I CAN hear you, you know," Kyo suddenly declared, turning away from Tohru to glare at us. He was smirking though so he couldn't have been terribly offended.

Yuki chuckled and walked towards Kyo again. "And that's supposed to matter… how?" he asked as he walked off. I laughed again and diverted attention back to Kisa and the food. They still fought I guess but it was a lot meeker than in the past. Yuki smiled a lot more nowadays too.

Kisa beamed up at me while taking small bites out of a sandwich she retrieved. For some reason, I loved watching her eat. She was so polite about everything. She'd take small bites and little sips of her drink after every few bites. It was adorable to watch…

She blushed then and I realized that perhaps I should eat as well instead of just watching her. I tend to forget that a lot, really. Kisa didn't seem to mind the attention, though. After she finished her sandwich, she yawned slightly and committed to watching me eat.

"That was a fairly awesome throw, by the way. I was impressed," I finally informed after swallowing.

Kisa blushed again and looked down slightly. "Hiro! It's not impressive if I use it against YOU!" she argued, pouting slightly.

I laughed. "It's still impressive. I'm not all that worse for wear so you shouldn't feel bad. It was masterfully done…" I added, grinning at her again. Her pink shades turned to red…

"Hiro…!" she groaned. She was smiling again however and looked back up at me. She suddenly crawled back over and nestled herself back into my lap. I laughed and simply held her there as she snatched the sandwich out of my hand and started feeding it to me. Well… this was an improvement anyway. Heh.

The sandwich was gone all too soon, sadly. Kisa made a light purring noise and seemed perfectly content to remain in my lap, however, so I didn't bother moving. Soon she settled down and her breathing changed. I glanced down and noticed she was asleep. I sighed contently and considered how lucky I was to have this angel in my arms… The food was getting to me anyway so… I thought I'd just close my eyes… for a little bit…

* * *

**Strange Behavior**

* * *

My eyes flickered open suddenly. At first I was disoriented but Kisa was still in my lap so I rapidly remembered where I was. What… was different, though? 

The sun had obviously lowered, shifting the prior blue of the sky to a more orange of dusk. Sounds, minus the normal wildlife, was also absent. I see. They… left us outside even after the party was over. I sighed irritably and shook my head. Kisa started and looked up at me, regaining her smile before kissing my jaw. I lost the irritable feeling for some reason and smiled down at her.

"I'm sorry, Kisa. You missed out on the grilled food, now," I apologized, running my hand through her hair.

She just shook her head. "Don't worry about it, silly. I had a lot more fun sleeping on my favorite person," she explained, smirking and causing me to blush… again.

I bonked her playfully on the head. "Well… in any case, maybe Tohru has leftovers?" I offered, standing up again and lifting her to her feet. She nodded happily.

"Sis usually makes too much so she probably does. Shall we go see?" she asked in return. I nodded and we headed off to the kitchen…

Tohru smiled and nodded to us as we entered. "The two sleepyheads finally woke up, huh?" she asked. Kisa nodded happily at her. I gave her my usual single nod. Her enthusiasm tired me out sometimes…

"Yeah… and… um… we're kind of hungry. Do you have any of the grilled food left over?" Kisa asked hesitantly.

Tohru nodded. "There's still fish left over and I don't think all of the vegetables are gone, either. I'll warm some up for you two!" She exclaimed with her ever enthusiastic demeanor.

Kisa thanked her profusely but I just walked back over to the table. Tohru was a good cook, yes, but I'll always think Kisa is better. That's just because Kisa's the one making it, of course. Kisa seemingly decided that she didn't need a chair and was just going to use me instead… Tohru didn't even seem to notice when she brought the food over. Was it THAT common place to see Kisa and I practically attached to each other? Not that it's a bad thing… just…

Kisa instantly snatched one of the vegetable skewers and sampled some of that. I tried some of the grilled fish instead. It WAS rather good. I'd had grilled foods before, of course, but Tohru was an exceptional cook, I'll admit. Kisa seemed to be enjoying her food as well. We ate in silence for a few minutes before Kisa decided to feed me again. Not that I'm complaining, anyway…

Kisa smiled as I took the last bite off her skewer. She stared at me for a few seconds before losing her smile again…? Huh? Then she leaned forward again… Oh. I didn't resist of course and simply let her place a very nice open mouthed kiss over my lips. Enjoying the feeling, I opened my mouth against hers and let her tongue play for a while… Tohru, who was watching us for a reaction to the food, rapidly turned away, pink. Well my supper was definitely improving…

Kisa eventually withdrew her tongue and slid slightly to the left, resting her mouth against the corner of mine. I nuzzled her cheek and earned a giggle, anyway. After a few seconds, she grinned at me again and leaned forward? Again? Well… there wasn't exactly a lot to debate, so I closed my eyes yet again…

…and got a rather large chunk of grilled fish crammed into my mouth. This was radically different from the expected feeling of Kisa's tongue and my eyes shot open in surprise! Kisa broke into laughter then and smirked again at me. I sighed, not able to properly respond due to the mass of fish in my mouth…

Unfortunately, Kyo entered through the deck door about then. He saw me with my mouth full and the end of the slice still sticking out of my mouth… and of course broke into copious amounts of laughter. I growled, rapidly swallowed the entire slice, snatched the now empty paper plate the fish used to be on, and whipped it at him like so many Frisbees prior in the day!

His eyes widened as the plate grazed off his cheek and flew off to his left then and out into the backyard. He blinked a few times before snorting. "Before throwing something, you'd best make sure that what you're throwing is a little more substantial than…" he started to taunt. I smiled then as the thin line appeared and a bead of red formed before sliding down his cheek slightly.

His eyes widened as he must have felt the wetness. He felt his cheek then and looked at his hand. After a moment of examination, he glared back up at me. "You little brat! You gave me a paper cut!" he exclaimed, partially surprised it seemed.

I laughed. "Oh please. You deserved that for laughing. Besides, you should have dodged it… unless you just like being hit by flying disks all the time…" I returned, rolling my eyes. Kisa bonked me playfully and picked up the last vegetable skewer.

Kyo smashed his fist into the wall then… "I was distracted earlier! That doesn't count!" he shouted defensively. I sighed.

"You're ALWAYS distracted so what DOES count? Maybe you just LIKE getting hurt all the time?" I pondered, somewhat to myself. Well… it would make sense…

Kyo blinked and regained his composure confidently. "Now why would I LIKE getting injured? That doesn't make any sense at all, stupid brat…" he shot back with poise.

I shook my head. "Well I can't diagnose any mental disorders you might have, but you DO get Tohru's attention every time you're injured… so…" I pointed out, trailing off the last part while smirking to myself. Kisa swallowed her current bite and looked quizzically at me.

Kyo's eyes shot open and any composure he had gained was just ditched totally as the color flooded into his face. Tohru, who had been looking between him and myself in nigh panic now just looked confused.

"You little bastard!" Kyo suddenly exclaimed, actually seeming angry this time? Kisa and I both widened our eyes as his foot suddenly connected with the side of our chair! I tried to grab the table but it went over with us. Kisa smashed her elbow on the floor, yelping and dropping her skewer! Tohru screamed in surprise about then and I slid, protecting the rest of Kisa using myself.

Coming to a stop, I climbed into a crouch and looked at the scene. The table and all of the dishes on it were scattered across the floor. Kisa had a nice bruise forming on her elbow where she was rubbing AND her vegetable skewer was now spilled on the floor! How… DARE he!? My eyes narrowed and a growl escaped my throat. Kyo widened his eyes suddenly, seemingly surprised at his own outburst. It didn't matter…

Tohru gasped as I suddenly lunged… Kisa turned suddenly at the last second and shouted, "No! Wait, Hiro!"

By the time the "No!" started, I had already made it to Kyo and had brought my left knee into his stomach! Landing on the floor with my right foot, I launched upwards again and brought my other knee into his face when he doubled over! As my name finally escaped Kisa's lips, I had already lashed once more with my left foot. This effectively caused me to kick OFF Kyo's chest and sent him backwards, through the door frame again, and back out into the yard! He landed on his back with a dull thud.

Tohru freaked instantly and rushed out into the yard to help him. Snorting, I ignored both of them and walked back to Kisa. "He didn't hurt me that badly, Hiro…" Kisa informed sadly.

"He still hurt you. AND you lost your vegetable skewer which I knew you wanted to eat," I explained as I kneeled down to examine her arm. She held it out willingly and I could tell it wasn't serious. "Thankfully it's only a bruise…" I added, sighing in relief.

Kisa smiled gently at me? I thought she'd be angry for me launching Kyo into the backyard… I scooped her up and cuddled her against me before carrying her out onto the deck. She smiled up at me and planted a tender peck on my lips before nuzzling into my neck…

Kyo was already sitting up so he couldn't be THAT injured. He frowned at Kisa then. "Are you… hurt?" he asked cautiously, much to my surprise. Tohru smiled, however. Kisa looked over and him and shook her head. He smiled then and sighed slightly. "That's good. I didn't mean to lose my temper and hit the chair…"

Kisa smiled and nodded. "It's okay. No major harm done," she replied, seemingly happy again. Kyo smiled and nodded towards her. Tohru busied herself with moping up the blood on his mouth and cheek. Kyo smiled at her after a few seconds. Maybe I did him a favor? Chuckling at the thought, I set Kisa down and headed back inside. Kisa stayed on the deck and questioningly watched them more…

I headed to the side door and got my shoes on again. This was a long day and I was really looking forward to sleeping it off tonight! With my shoes on, I headed out the door and got my bike from the side of the house. It was kind of annoying using a bicycle when I had a license… but until I got a car… Heh… Maybe I should eventually TELL someone that I have my license?

The side door suddenly blew open and Kisa flailed down the steps! "I'm sorry, Hiro! I got distracted! Don't leave without me!" she wailed as she went. I couldn't help but laugh and brace as she pounced me.

"I wouldn't have left without you, silly. What were you thinking about?" I asked, patting her head.

She smiled at me and nodded. "Well… do you think that… um… maybe Kyo LIKES Sis?" she asked suddenly. I blinked before laughing again.

"Kisa… EVERYONE likes your "Sis"…" I reminded.

Kisa tilted her head. "Except Akito and yourself, right?" she corrected.

I lost my smile and sighed. After a few seconds of thought, I looked back at Kisa. "Well… Tohru really isn't a bad person… and you like her… so that makes her tolerable, at the very least," I attempted to explain.

Kisa frowned. "Um… back at the park… when you went to get food and we all freaked out… I talked to Haru shortly after we all realized you disappeared…" Kisa suddenly informed.

My eyebrow rose of its own accord. "Why?" I asked cautiously.

Kisa sighed. "Well he's always been close to you. He was also with you the entire time after that… so… I thought you might have said something to him that would… help," she explained, obviously choosing her words carefully.

I shrugged. "I don't recall saying too much… but what did he say?" I asked. Haru…

Kisa smiled slightly. "Well… he said you weren't really bored… but hungry instead…" she started. After a few seconds pause, she lost her smile again. "Plus you didn't want to interrupt my discussion with… Tohru and… decided it would be best to go get food quietly…" she finished. She didn't say "Sis" that time, though?

"Well you don't get many chances to talk with her anymore… so I thought it would be rather selfish of me to interrupt…" I enlightened, looking down slightly.

Kisa sighed and thought for a few seconds. "Well… it was nice of you to consider all of that but… you should probably interrupt me next time if you're feeling left out. I… think I see why you don't like Tohru as much as the other Sohmas. If it wasn't for MY relationship with her, you wouldn't mind her as much, would you?" she asked. My eyes widened and I shook my head rapidly. Crap! Not what I was intending!

"No, Kisa! I'm happy that you have such a strong relationship with her. She obviously has something special that you like… and I don't want to get in the way of that, so don't mind me," I reinforced, smiling at her again. Kisa would be extremely sad if she stopped talking with Tohru…

Kisa frowned again. I probably should have prepared ahead of time for this inevitable conversation… "Something… special?" she asked in a rhetorical manner. I blinked and just let her continue. "A long time ago you told me that you were jealous of Tohru sometimes… and that you wished that I would follow you around like I do her sometimes…" she suddenly threw out. Still no question…

"Yes, but…" I started to try to intervene. I didn't like the way this was going…

Kisa looked back up at me suddenly. "Does the jealousy also apply to her being able to distract me for hours at a time, then?" she finally asked. A question… but the exact one that I had been hoping to avoid! Not good… I looked down and away slightly, trying to rapidly come up with something…

"It does, doesn't it?" Kisa asked instead, rhetorically again. I sighed and nodded slightly. No avoiding it now… "So you're jealous of Tohru's ability to hold my attention like that…" she confirmed, frowning again.

I sighed. "Please… keep calling her your sister," I interrupted. Kisa's eyes widened in surprise so I continued, "It's unnerving to hear you call her Tohru. I don't want to get in the way of your relationship with her. Really… I've come to terms with her effect on you a while ago…" I should remember to bring Kisa here more often.

Kisa tilted her head at me. "So you… aren't jealous over her anymore?" she asked curiously. I sighed again and shook my head.

"No. I've come to understand that she just has something that I don't…" I replied. Kisa frowned again.

"Hiro… You're special to me as well. I love Tohru like a big sister… but I LOVE you like a soul mate!" she exclaimed, smiling again. My eyes widened slightly but I smiled too. Well… I guess that was true. I reached out and rubbed her cheek playfully. She grinned and nuzzled the palm of my hand, earning a chuckle.

Then I remembered my prior train of thought. "Oh, I meant to tell you earlier, but if you ever want to spend the night here or anything to spend more time with your sister, it definitely won't be a problem with me," I informed.

Kisa's eyes shot open but she rapidly started beaming again. "Oh, thank you, Hiro!" she exclaimed. After a few seconds, she seemed to ponder something again. "Um… do you… think that it might be possible for me to… um… stay here tonight? I have something I need to discuss with Sis…" she suddenly asked.

My eyes widened slightly and Kisa shrank down instantly, wincing. I laughed and bonked her on the head. "Silly. Of course I don't mind… but you'd better go ask Shigure. It IS his house, after all…" I reminded. Kisa beamed at me again and sprinted back into the house!

I sighed softly. She was so energetic sometimes. I was glad that she was happy again, though. Now… what to do with my night now that I'm a bachelor? Hmm… I decided that a bath sounded really nice about now… and I WAS rather sore…

Footsteps interrupted my thought process however, and I turned towards the direction they were coming from. Yuki was coming up the road it seemed. He had left during our supper with the excuse that he had to tend to his garden… It would appear that he was close enough to listen, however.

"That was awfully nice of you to let her stay after everything she did to you today…" Yuki noted vocally while walking towards me.

"How long have you been listening?" I calmly asked. Yuki smiled instead of answering and my mind answered "Too Long" for him.

Yuki shrugged. "I didn't want to interrupt you two when you were having such a serious conversation," he explained. I chuckled.

"So Tohru has you check up on us, then?" I asked quizzically.

Yuki never lost his smile but only nodded once instead. "I can see your point, anyway. Miss Honda has the amazing ability to capture Kisa's attention for hours at a time. However… you also seem to have that ability," he commented. Huh?

"What do you mean?" I asked skeptically.

Yuki smiled more and shrugged. "This is just what I noticed. You have a slightly different technique, that's all. Tohru talks to Kisa… but you don't even need that," Yuki explained. What?! I tilted my head slightly so Yuki continued. "You do realize how long Kisa simply sat in your lap and cuddled with you, right? Over two hours WITHOUT counting the nap. You can achieve everything Tohru can to even greater effect with less effort…" Yuki concluded…

My mouth was still open partially but I really didn't have anything left to say. I had… never really considered any of that. Kisa didn't really interact with anyone else… did she? She was perfectly content to just cuddle with me! She OBVIOUSLY didn't cuddle with Tohru… so I… WAS special? If I had started a conversation with enough life during that time, I probably COULD hold her undivided attention! Everything seemed so much brighter suddenly and I couldn't help but smile. Yuki nodded to me and simply headed back towards the house… I'd have to thank him later.

Kisa burst out of the side door again before he got there. "Hi, Yuki!" she exclaimed as she ran past. It looked like he was going to say something but she was gone before he got the chance… Heh… With her level of energy, the answer she got was rather obvious.

"Don't worry. I'll ride back to the house and get your things…" I spoke as she skidded up to me. She seemed mildly surprised but rapidly recovered and grinned.

I smiled back and kicked up the kickstand. "Wait… I can at least ride with you to get the things. You'll probably miss me tonight, after all…" she offered after a second of consideration.

"No, it's okay. You go talk to your sister. That's what you're here for, after all. I'll be fine…" I reassured. She was still smiling but her eyes softened considerably.

I leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead before taking off. I heard "Hiro…" muttered before I got out of earshot… Ah well. Kisa obviously had something on her mind and it would be better if she talked to Tohru about it. Some things seemed to be easier for her to speak of with her sister after all… I rode back to the apartment in silence…

* * *

**Temporary Bachelor**

* * *

The night air was cool on my skin as I road along. It hadn't taken all that long to gather her things. I just grabbed a few changes of clothes, her accessories, a few hair ribbons, and some of her makeup. All the while, I thought about what I wanted to do for the rest of the night. 

By the time I was halfway there, I had pretty much already decided to go to the dojo. It was open until midnight anyway and I wanted to get a bit more fencing practice in. I'd managed to personally find a new trainer for the place. It was another woman, which made me a little leery after what happened last time, but she was extremely nice so I guess nothing bad would happen. Kazuma even said that I could be her first student seeing that I was the one who found her…

Sighing, I stared blankly at the moon as I coasted down a large hill towards an intersection. Everything always seemed so much simpler when staring at it. It was so round and bright… It gave me an… ancient feeling of primal energy, really. My skin started to tingle a little but I was reaching the bottom of the hill and had to break for the intersection.

"Oh, hey Hiro!" suddenly rang out in a spastically hyper manner, managing to utterly shatter my concentration. I sighed and looked to my left, only to discover Momiji rushing towards me in full sprint, sporadically waving his arm in the air. Haru trailed behind him, hands in his pockets, at a much slower pace…

I gave them a single nod after Momiji skidded to a halt and Haru caught up. "What's with the bag, Hiro?" Haru asked casually.

"Kisa wants to stay at Shigure's house tonight. She said she had something to talk about with Tohru," I informed, shifting the bag higher on my shoulder.

Momiji snickered and nodded rapidly. "Kisa probably feels embarrassed after smashing you into the punch table!"

I rolled my eyes. "I already told her not to worry about that and forgave her. She just has something she wants to get out of her system it seems," I defended, already irritated by him.

Haru chuckled and returned, "Kisa doesn't forgive HERSELF all that quickly. She's like you in that regard… so she probably still feels badly about it."

I thought about it. Yeah, I'd still be beating myself up if I had hurt her, even if she HAD said it was okay. I chuckled. "Well… you're probably right about that. I'm sure she'll be fine, though," I admitted. Haru definitely had a unique perspective on most situations.

After a few moments of silence, Momiji finally tilted his head. "So… what are you going to do with your night now that you're single again for a while?" he asked, obviously amused.

I shook my head. "Not single… just alone for a night. I'll probably end up training more at the Dojo…" I informed truthfully.

Momiji raised an eyebrow to me and asked, "After you were put through a table, two kegs, and into a tree? You're a brute for punishment, aren't you?"

"It'll probably be sore in the morning… so I figured I might as well be even MORE sore. Not like I have work tomorrow," I pointed out. Momiji just shook his head.

"Well I still think that she should treat you better. Although it's partly your fault for not simply telling her when you want to do something…" Momiji added after a few more seconds. I sighed again.

"Verbal messages like that scare Kisa. Then she freaks out, tries to re-adjust, and shoots to the other extreme. She'd be spending ALL of her time with me then, which also isn't good for her." I explained irritably. This had all been tried before and it didn't work THEN.

Haru shook his head. "No… I think he's right. Have a nice long talk with her when she gets this current thing out of her system. Explain your exact mindset to her and I think both of you will feel better after you see all of the flexibility you actually have," he reasoned.

Curse him… That… probably WOULD work, of course. Logically it had to, as long as I kept Kisa calm. I nodded slowly. "Okay… I'll give that a try, I guess. It can't hurt after all… if I take it calmly and don't let her freak out."

Momiji playfully pouted. "Why does he always listen to you, Haru? Don't my ideas sound as good?" he whined. My irritation levels rose again…

Haru blankly stared at Momiji for almost a full thirty seconds before simply shrugging. Momiji blinked a few times and looked back at me, slightly more confused than usual. I mimicked Haru's shrug and Momiji sighed. "Both of you are so frustrating sometimes…" he muttered after another moment.

Haru didn't reply but instead turned away and started down the way I came… "Come on, Momiji. We're now distracting Hiro…" he muttered as he walked off. Momiji stared after him before shrugging himself.

"Oh fine… Bye bye! Talk to you later, Hiro!" he exclaimed before rushing to catch up with Haru. Well… that was kind of weird… but proved to be at least a little enlightening anyway. Giving one more look at the moon, I sighed and continued on my way.

It only took five more minutes to get back to Shigure's house. He greeted me as I was taking my shoes off. "Ah… It's Hiro again. When one says that they'll be staying the night, they usually aren't expecting to be picked up within twenty minutes you know," he pointed out…

I just rolled my eyes and stepped into the house. Shigure wasn't stupid, even if he acted like it sometimes… so I didn't bother to answer. Instead I asked, "Where's Kisa at?"

"She's in Tohru's bedroom, of course. That sounds so fun, doesn't it? I wonder what they do the entire time they're in there, after all?" he started commenting, mostly to himself. At least I hoped, as I certainly wasn't paying attention to him… Instead, I walked past him and up the stairs.

"Oh fine… ignore me!" I heard whined from behind me, followed by the fakest sniffling I had ever heard. I took his advice and walked over to Tohru's bedroom door.

After knocking briefly, I heard "Come In" so I proceeded to open the door. Tohru was sitting on her bed, already in her pajamas and resting against her pillows. Kisa was obviously still in her day clothes. She was sitting at the foot of the bed, however.

"Hiro!" she exclaimed happily before hopping up and hugging me. I smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"Hey Princess. I bought your bag, as you can see. Are you having fun so far?" I asked after she released me.

Kisa nodded and Tohru simply smiled at me. "Of course, my Prince…" Kisa answered in a regale fashion, giving a slight purring noise to the end of it…

I laughed and brushed her cheek with my right hand. She just kept smiling though so I asked, "What time do you want to be picked up tomorrow?"

Kisa thought for a few seconds before shrugging. "How does noon sound?" she asked.

I returned her shrug. "I'll be up before that so no problems…"

There was an awkward silence between us suddenly. I didn't exactly know what else to say. Should I just leave? Kisa seemed as hesitant as I was. Tohru just lost a little of her smile and looked back and forth between us. Uh…

"Well… um… I guess all that's left is goodnight," I finally spoke, snagging her hand and giving it a kiss before backing out of the room. Kisa frowned and looked down for a few seconds before following me.

"Uh… are you sure about this? I mean… I'm sure this can wait until later… and… um…" Kisa started to mutter as she looked back up at me.

I smiled and nodded to her. "Don't worry, Kisa. I'll be fine. You just enjoy yourself, okay?" I confirmed. Kisa looked sad again, though… Haru was probably right after all and she still felt bad…

"Hiro…" she mumbled, taking a few more steps forward and tilting her head up slightly. It looked like she wanted to… kiss me again?

Turning around, I shook my head. "I'm fine, Kisa. Just enjoy yourself…" I finalized before walking towards the stairs again. If she HAD kissed me, I might not have been able to leave after all… Ug… It didn't seem like it was going to be this hard…

There was no reply, so I just kept going until I reached my bike again. I hoped she understood my feelings, anyway. I rode back to the apartment in silence…

* * *

**Chapter 20 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Okay… yeah. Awkward. I know that it's been two and a half months since I last updated and posted more but… well… I'm sorry. School was a lot worse than I thought, plus I've been under a lot of stress the entire time. I'm going through a… darker phase of my life it would seem and I'll admit openly that I'm… slightly depressed so I didn't have the creativity needed to properly portray these chapters. It's a little better now so I decided that you guys had waited long enough. But enough about me…

This chapter may look like more of the filler but I hoped people at least spotted some of the things starting to build up. I laughed personally at the punch and Frisbee scenes. Those were fun to write! Plus I think that Hiro has gained a little more understanding about Kisa now, so everything is looking to be better! Whee!

Also, as a side note, I'm attempting to research more into different types of Japanese foods. It's proving slow work but I decided that I'd try anyway for added realism.

Just like last time I posted two in a row, all of the review replies will be in the second one. Thank you for reading this chapter, everyone! I hope you liked it! Oh, and still no editor for either of these, so they might be a little rough.

Signed,

A.T.


	21. Reasons to Live

* * *

**Chapter 21 – Reasons to Live**

* * *

I yawned and slowly opened my eyes. Sis was absent from the bed, I noticed. I had fallen asleep with her holding my hand last night, of course. It wasn't really comparable to being CUDDLED by Hiro… but it was still comforting. We had talked for quite a while last night… 

Glancing over at the clock, I noticed that it was ten to twelve. Crap… I overslept. Hiro would be here in all of ten minutes. Well… I'm sure he could wait for me to get a shower, at least. I slipped out of bed and headed towards the shower. I still felt half asleep. Maybe I shouldn't have talked so late? I really needed the advice, though.

Of course, it all started with the letter. It was almost too perfect to be true. A college not only accepted me, but offered me a full scholarship! Plus, it was a college for graphics design. I'd always wanted to get into that… This seemed… perfect, right? The only thing deflating it was the location of the school and the limited window of opportunity to accept.

Not only was the school located in the United States, a country halfway across the planet, but I also had to accept the offer before graduation in order to get the scholarship! That would mean that I'd become an official student there THAT SUMMER! They wanted me as soon as humanly possible, it would seem. I… wanted to go… but I was both nervous about the distance AND what Hiro would think.

Talking to Sis had helped a lot, of course. Yuki was seemingly considering transferring there for a more technically oriented degree and had been researching it very carefully. Having Yuki there would definitely make it easier… but still! Sis told me about some of the things he had discovered, though, and by the time we were done talking, it didn't sound like a very bad place. I'd have to work on my English, of course, but Yuki said he'd help me with that, too.

The only thing that Sis didn't really have any advice about was Hiro. It was obvious he would be hurt, so I had to try to come up with some way of… limiting it. The problem was that it went against everything I had previously promised him. Getting married after I graduate wouldn't really be possible unless we wanted the world's fastest ceremony and honeymoon! We only had a week after I graduated before I had to fly out…

Basically, we had narrowed it down to simply explaining it all to him and hoping for the best… which I didn't like at all! Even Yuki couldn't think of a painless way to do this… but he did tell me a few ways I could reduce it as much as possible.

I growled and punched the shower wall. The warm water gently flowed down my back and I sighed. This just wasn't fair. I loved Hiro and I didn't want to hurt him at ALL! It was almost like the school itself was conspiring to pull us apart!

Sighing, I gave a slight tremble. No… stop it, Kisa. The school just got your good grades reported and probably wanted you to like the place so much that it would earn their country a trained expert once you were done. Thinking they were conspiring against my relationship was just stupid of me… Heh. I could be awfully brainless sometimes, though.

Finally getting out of the shower, I felt reasonably worse than when I entered. This wasn't fair to Hiro at all! Maybe I should just forget about the collage. I sighed again. If he found out that I just gave up because of him, he'd be both angry and sad, though.

After getting dressed, I wandered downstairs looking for Sis again. I think I needed to talk a little bit more…

* * *

**Hinata**

* * *

Being quite sore when I got up, I decided that training again this morning was probably a bad idea. I'd spent almost four hours there yesterday. The new sensei didn't mind however and, once I explained my spur of the moment request, she even laughed. She understood my intentions though and thought I was quite nice at letting my fiancée stay at another house for the night. 

The training was quite intense, however, and I found myself sweating by the time we had finished. There was a world of difference between her and the last instructor, though! She actually knew what she was talking about and I felt like I was learning something worthwhile.

Hinata laughed happily and gave the rubber ball a massive belt! It flew directly at me. I sidestepped at the last minute and used a downwards hammer block to smash it into the ground! This was followed almost instantly by my right foot launching it back at her. She masterfully cross-blocked it however and kneed it, at a slightly slower velocity, back at me! Yes… I was using a ball to teach her basic martial arts. She had requested it, though.

Even though she was only six, she was incredibly smart for her age. Being my sister, she had grown up as, and around, other Sohma family members. Even though she wasn't cursed, she still shared the common early maturity levels. Plus, she understood that we were cursed and had absolutely no problem with it. Heck, she even went as far as to get kicks by randomly turning me into a sheep every once in a while! I was… happy that she didn't hate us because of the curse…

Mother laughed as she watched us from the deck. Hinata spent a lot of time going to a specialty preschool, so I didn't get to see her all that often. She wasn't here for the farewell party, so I figured I'd drop by before School started again. Mother seemed to like watching me play with her as well. Hinata seemed to idolize me to some extent, but we got along wonderfully.

I axe kicked it back at her in one fluid motion. This time she just caught the ball and smiled at me. Her chest was heaving rather well, so I assumed she was tired. "Thank you, Bro! Think I'll ever be as good as you?" she asked then with quite a bit of energy. I laughed.

"Of course. You just have to keep at it and never give up," I assured. She grinned and nodded before running over, dropping the ball on the way. I raised my eyebrow. Was I about to be reduced to a sheep… again…?

Instead of pouncing however, she just kind of flopped against my leg. I kneeled down and she just leaned against me, smiling. I smiled softly at her and patted her on the head. "I know. If I use my arms, you turn into a sheep…" she muttered against me. I sighed and nodded. Not a lot I could do about that…

"I'm sorry…" I muttered to Hinata. She just shook her head though. Mother sighed and frowned from the deck.

"I'll just have to get Sis to give you extra hugs for me," Hinata replied after a few seconds, finally standing upright again. I laughed. She was always so positive. I absolutely adored her, though… "Would big brother like that?" she asked. Of course, it was only natural that Hinata started calling Kisa "Sis"… Technically she would be after not too long…

I grinned. "Well of course I would. Kisa probably wouldn't mind either, of course," I added. Hinata giggled and walked back towards the deck. I chuckled and walked after her.

Mother smiled happily as we walked up. "Thanks for stopping by, Hiro. How IS Kisa, by the way?" she asked politely.

"Well… she has something that's bothering her right now… but she's visiting Tohru, so hopefully she'll feel better afterwards," I explained without looking up.

Mother chuckled. "And how do YOU feel about that?"

I sighed. "Well… I admitted that Tohru was able to help Kisa in ways that I couldn't a long time ago, so I don't really have much to feel, right?" I deduced.

Hinata giggled and spun around to face me again. "Tohru helps Sis feel better, right?" she asked suddenly. I blinked… but couldn't help but nod. Hinata nodded too. "Yup! I thought so. But… Big Brother helps Sis live, right?" she asked instead. Huh?

I tilted my head towards her. "Well… she could probably survive without…" I started to defend.

"There are large differences between living and existing, Hiro. Would Kisa truly be able to live if you disappeared?" Mother asked, interrupting me. I sighed.

"It's all hypothetical… but I'd assume she'd…" I started… and stopped myself this time. If… well… I had no reason to think Kisa was lying to me… so taking everything she's said as true, then no. She would be utterly miserable without me? I smiled slightly. Well, I'd just have to make sure I didn't go away anytime soon. I looked back up at the curious looking Hinata. "I love you, Sis," I spoke sweetly then. Hinata smiled again.

"I love you too, Brother!" she squealed happily… and pounced… Crap…

Thankfully, Mother helped gather my clothes as Hinata carried my now much smaller form into the kitchen. Mother had promised to make me some breakfast before I had to pick Kisa up. Hinata of course LOVED it when I turned into a sheep. Then she could pretend I was a stuffed animal that made weird noises I guess. Of course, anyone would make weird noises when being violently "cuddled" by a person four times their mass. Ah well. I still loved her and she was only showing me that she loved me, after all. She couldn't while I was still human…

The feeling came about and I struggled out of her lap before the explosion hit. Hinata laughed as the smoke flooded about. I sighed. "Big Brother's naked again!" she exclaimed, teasing.

Mother, still cooking, chuckled. "And who's fault is that?" she asked. Hinata grinned up at her while I snatched my clothes from the pile, grumbling the entire time.

"You're such a brat, Hinata…" I muttered after I was fully clothed again.

Hinata grinned towards me. "You still love me, though!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes… of course… but that doesn't remove the title," I reminded. Hinata smirked and hopped up into one of the chairs at the table.

I shook my head and sat across from her. Well it didn't do any harm, anyway. My legs moved apart just in time for her foot to smack into my chair instead. I then closed them together again, trapping her leg there. "Hey!" she exclaimed, laughing.

I smiled. "I'm still faster… so watch it…" I playfully warned. Hinata blew a small kiss across the table. I shook my head sadly and let her go. She knew how adorable she could be and wasn't above using that to get her way, of course. The technique was usually used to get free of one of my holds or to get me to buy things for her…

Mother finished cooking then and flooded our plates with food. Being extremely hungry from not eating last night and all the exercise I'd been getting, I dug in almost instantly after quick thanks to Mother. Hinata giggled at my gusto before starting to eat, herself.

We finished almost at the same time, however. She made a game of trying to keep up with me, though. After we finished, both of us instinctively put away our plates. Mother, having already eaten earlier that morning, had been reading at the end of the table the entire time. I sat back down where I was and watched Hinata… who also sat down and watched me. After a few moments, she set her head down on her arms and watched me at an angle, smiling still. She could be a brat sometimes… but she still had a good heart…

I chuckled and mimicked her, earning an even bigger smile. However, I was, unsurprisingly, extremely over-protective of her. Actually, I kind of pitied her future boyfriend… Haru had taken a liking to her almost instantly and now we extended protection to her as well. Heh…

"When does Big Brother have to leave?" Hinata suddenly asked, losing a little of her smile.

I chuckled. "I have to leave in about ten minutes. Sorry, Sis. I'll make sure to visit again soon, though," I promised.

Hinata grinned. "You'd better. Hinata needs Bro to live, too…" she added. I smiled at her and playfully patted her head.

The three of us chatted for the remainder of my time there. Hinata seemed sad to see me go… but I promised again to visit her soon and she cheered up again. Kisa would probably be getting impatient by now anyway as I wouldn't make it there until ten after… Heh… Woops. Oh well. Waving once more to both of them, I took off towards Shigure's house on my bike…

* * *

**Movies and New Toys**

* * *

I took my shoes off and set them in the entry way before heading into the house. It was oddly quiet. Usually this house didn't see a moment of non-violence with both Yuki and Kyo living under its roof! Maybe one of them had left… 

Shigure was sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading a newspaper when I walked in. He looked towards me and smiled. "Managed to survive your night as a bachelor, huh?" he asked, chuckling.

"Of course… Although I'm looking for Kisa NOW…" I added, looking around.

Yuki was just coming down the stairs. "You're ten minutes too late. She came downstairs crying about something and Miss Honda took her out for a walk," he informed. Crying?!

"Wait… what was she crying about?" I asked, somewhat distressed. Was this bigger than I thought?! I thought it was just something mundane she needed to talk about… but if she was this stressed out!

Yuki shook his head. "I'd assume what they spent half the night talking about… but I don't know that topic either."

I frowned. This wasn't good… "Do you know where they went?" I asked next.

Yuki shrugged but Shigure nodded. "Tohru said something about going to the park. You could look there…" he offered. The park? That made sense…

"Okay… I'll see if I can find them, then!" I exclaimed before rapidly rushing out the door again, barely managing to snatch my shoes as I went.

Kisa crying always bothered me. If she was crying somewhere and needed assistance, I was going to get there as fast as I possibly could, of course!

I think I broke land speed records getting there. Hopping over the small entry fence on my bike, I skidded to a halt. Well… that was easy. They were all of forty feet ahead of me, sitting on the usual bench with… surprise… Crepes. Kisa DID love them…

Both looked up when they saw me of course. Kisa smiled and waved towards me. Tohru just nodded, smiling still. "Hey, Hiro!" Kisa exclaimed. That… wasn't crying… I got confused.

I coasted up to the bench. "Are you okay? I went to Shigure's to pick you up and you weren't there so I got a little concerned."

Kisa looked down a little. "I'm sorry… I had to talk to Sis more… and she offered to take me here. Oh! And… um… do you think that she could… uh…" she started stuttering. Huh?

"I offered to take her to the movies later. Do you think that's okay?" Tohru spoke up for her. I chuckled.

"Of course I don't mind. I was just concerned that something was wrong, that's all," I explained.

Kisa smiled and looked up at me again. "You're sweet, Hiro. I'm fine, though. I'm feeling a lot better than earlier…"

I nodded to her. Well at least Tohru was helping, then. It was probably for the best that she stayed with her for a little longer, then. "Very well. I'll drop by Shigure's tonight sometime after the movie," I told her, turning to walk away. Well that was a lot of worry for nothing…

"Wait Hiro… come directly after the movie! I'm making a late supper for everyone and you and Kisa are invited," Tohru suddenly informed. YES! I wouldn't have to eat takeout now!

I nodded. "Okay… Well… I'll stop by directly after the movie then… and…" I started. Ug… Not as easy as I expected. Kisa raised an eyebrow at my delay. "Um… and thank you for cooking for us… Tohru…" I finally managed to squeeze out. Gah…

Kisa and Tohru both widened their eyes. After almost ten seconds, they recovered and started smiling again… What? Was it THAT unexpected…? Tohru shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Hiro. It's not a problem," she replied, seemingly happy. Kisa was beaming at me, which is what made it worth it.

"Okay then. I'm going to go to the Dojo then and train until then. See you later today, Kisa!" I exclaimed before turning around and heading back towards the gates on my bike.

"Have fun, Hiro!" Kisa shouted. I gave a two fingered wave as I headed out the gate of the park…

Well it looked like I'd be going to the Dojo again today after all. I didn't really have much else to do, after all. Not that I was complaining, really. It was difficult to know what to think about all of this so I'd prefer not to think at all. She obviously wasn't ready to tell me what was wrong, yet… so I didn't have much choice other than to wait it out.

I pulled up to the dojo and rested my bike up against the wall. This was Sohma estate so I really didn't have to worry about it getting stolen. Looking around inside the main Dojo room, I noticed that Sensei must have been out to lunch. I sighed. Kazuma was way in the back of the room with two little kids. New students, maybe? Not really my concern, though. Being in a tank top and shorts already, I didn't have to change. I just walked over to the wall and grabbed a training bokken.

Being an extremely advanced student did have its perks. I was able to use any of the dojo equipment in an unregulated fashion. Kazuma knew that I was capable of using them, however. Plus anything I damaged, I personally paid for. Thankfully it was extremely hard to damage a sandbag on a chain using a bokken.

Practicing a few cuts that I had already learned, I felt more capable with the thing, anyway. The sword was moving a lot more smoothly than when I had started. I gave it a light twirl and performed a rapid double-cut to the bag. With nothing new to really learn, I got somewhat bored. Hmm.

Kicking the release open on the base of the bag, I let it swing freely. Heh… My spinning kick sent the bag hurtling out about seven feet before swinging back. I sidestepped at the last second and performed a nasty backhanded cut to it with the bokken instead. Alternating then, I cycled between using legs, my free left arm, and the bokken to attack the bag each time. Improvising was always fun and soon I had gotten a few useful combinations down. This would probably be considered unorthodox by a professional blade fighter, but if it worked…

The bag swooped around once more and I decided to further mix it up. As it came in, I leaped at the bag. Coming in at an angle, I managed a double kick to the bag AND a slash before I launched myself too far off it! Yes! I WAS getting faster!

Performing a lazy back flip in the air, I landed into a skid and turned a hundred and eighty degrees while sliding. Closing my eyes, I focused on the mental image of the bag. In my mind, I saw myself kick off it again and it sailing off in the other direction. Then it slowly looped around again and… was coming back… towards me!

With the timing down in my mind, I back flipped again from my crouching position. Knowing about where the bag would now be, my feet moved accordingly and collided with the bag as it came back in. My forward momentum was enough to allow me to briefly "crouch" on the side of the bag. Twirling another hundred and eighty degrees while crouching, I managed to slash the bag once more before gravity took my and I fell. Hitting the floor sideways, I tucked into a roll and came out of it into a slide five feet away. Yes…

A slow but steady clapping occurred then and I opened my eyes again. Huh? Someone was watching me or did something else happen that I missed entirely? Looking up, I saw Kazuma smiling towards me and perpetrating the noise. The two kids he had been teaching before were now staring at me in a rather wide-eyed fashion. I suddenly felt self-conscious and was glad I didn't screw up that last one… Heh.

Then Kazuma said something that I couldn't hear. The little girl put her fingers to her mouth and the boy started nodding rapidly. My curiosity was perked. Kazuma then looked back up at me and called out, "Hey, Hiro! Got a minute?"

I nodded and approached. Looking at the boy, I noted that he was barely half my height. Probably about ten maybe? He had a youthful feeling to his appearance. Somewhat messy hair… wild eyes… Loose fitting clothes… He was just watching me approach. The girl seemed slightly more standoffish than the boy. She was wearing similar clothing and had her hair in relaxed pigtails. Her hair wasn't black like the boy's, but slightly lighter, maybe with a shade of brown to it? Her face was also getting a pink tint as an inverse function of how close I got. Amusing…

"Yes, Sensei? Do you need something?" I asked respectfully after reaching them.

Kazuma chuckled. "You don't have to refer to me as Sensei anymore. You've graduated as my student after all," he reminded. I smiled and bowed anyway, getting another chuckle. "Anyway, these two wanted to meet you after your little performance over there," he added.

I smiled and knelt down to their eye level. The boy seemed ecstatic while the girl seemed to shrink a little. "Hey, I'm Hiro Sohma. Nice to meet you," I introduced myself. The boy nodded happily. I wonder if he knew that his mouth was still open. The girl just turned pinker and gave a single nod. Huh. Again I pondered if there was some "aura" that the Sohmas had that made others view them differently. I probably would never find out…

"Hi! I'm Masashi Yamamoto! This is my sister, Kana! Nice to meet you!" the boy suddenly exclaimed, holding out his hand.

Laughing, I shook it. Kana huh? Where did I hear that before? Oh yeah… Hatori's ex-girlfriend's name is also Kana, if I remembered correctly. I'd never really met her though and the accident with Hatori's eye happened before I could. I nodded to him and turned to her, also holding out my hand. She just stared at it and blinked a few times. Uh?

Masashi started laughing. "Don't mind her. A few moments before you came over, she admitted that you were cute, so she's probably in shock!" he explained, obviously very amused.

Her face went bright red instantly! She then wheeled around and socked her brother in the arm. I could tell it was hard as he winced and was knocked sideways by it! My left arm shot out and snatched him before he could fall, however. I then re-balanced him on his feet. Kana's blush went away and she just stared at my arm. Masashi blinked a few times. "Whoa… that moved fast!" he exclaimed after a few seconds of recovery.

"I… I'm sorry… I just…" Kana suddenly squeaked. There was no force behind her voice whatsoever and she reminded me of how Kisa used to be.

I laughed and patted her on the head. "Don't worry about it. Just don't let Kisa hear you say that…" I teased. Kana tilted her head.

"Kisa?" she asked questioningly.

I nodded. "Yeah, she's a girl a little shorter than me with bright golden hair and eyes. She's my fiancée," I informed.

Kana smiled and nodded happily but Masashi got a questioning look this time. "Fiancée?" he repeated, seeming uncertain.

"The girl he's going to marry!" Kana exclaimed merrily. Masashi's eyes widened and he looked surprised.

I stood up again. Little kids were usually adorable… when not making too much noise. Kisa really liked them and I could see where she was coming from, anyway. "Speaking of Kisa, I heard you were training her," Kazuma suddenly mentioned. I looked back towards him and nodded, so he continued, "We're running somewhat low on quality help recently and the weekend instructor said you were good at teaching. What would you say if I offered you a couple students?"

My turn to be surprised it would seem! "Well… I have a summer job already but if I wasn't required to put in full time, I should be able to do it. I might get Kisa here more often too that way," I replied. Kazuma nodded.

"You wouldn't be expected to stay here and watch the dojo like the others. You'd just be taking a few students to take some pressure off us," he explained further. I nodded towards him.

"Very well. I'll have to talk to Kisa about it first, but I doubt she'll have a problem. Did you have students in mind already?" I asked.

Kazuma smiled and looked down at Masashi and Kana. Oh… Masashi freaked out instantly and Kana went scarlet again. "No way! You're having HIM train us?!" Masashi exclaimed in disbelief.

I knelt down to their eye-level again. "Hey now. Just because I'm not as old as some of the sensei here doesn't mean I can't train," I pointed out teasingly.

Kana widened her eyes and promptly belted her brother again before wheeling back to me. "He didn't mean it like that! He just was surprised that we get to be taught by such a cool person!" she corrected. I chuckled at her.

Kazuma smiled gently. "They seem to like you. Very well. If you agree to it, they're officially your students."

I nodded. "It probably won't be a problem. I'm picking Kisa up later today and I'll ask her then," I informed, standing up again. Kazuma nodded.

"No rush. I don't even have their equipment in yet so they won't be able to seriously start training for about a week. It'll be up to you to work out a training session time with them, though," Kazuma added.

"No problem. I don't mind…" I agreed.

Kana and Masashi both smiled up at me and I grinned back before giving the bokken another twirl and heading back towards my bag…

Masashi and Kana finished the basics in another half an hour and were picked up by their parents shortly afterwards. The fencing instructor came back before that though so I didn't get a chance to meet their parents.

By the time my session was over, it was already getting dark. I checked my watch and discovered that it was almost time to pick up Kisa. Woops… I walked over to Kazuma and nodded. "Kisa needs to be picked up shortly so I should probably leave reasonably soon," I informed him.

"Do you think you could take a look at something first, really quick?" Kazuma requested. I nodded politely and Kazuma retreated into his office.

He came back less than a minute later carrying an elegant wooden box. The box was almost four feet long and was covered in finely crafted wood carvings! Wow. It was very nice. He smiled as he watched me examine the box and then nodded, handing the box to me. I gave him a questioning look but sat down and rested the box on the ground. There were two brass latches on the one side, so I unhooked them and raised the lid of the box…

My eyes widened when I saw the contents. Inside was a beautiful katana wrapped in an elegant silk ribbon! My eyes did a sweep over it. The saya was black with a gold lace painted down it in a seemingly random design. The tsuka was wrapped in a light blue tsukamaki. The tsuba was of the same color as the saya however and in the form of a dragon. Overall, the entire sword was beautiful.

I looked back up at Kazuma. "It's a very beautiful weapon. Did you get it for some ceremony?" I asked him, still impressed.

Kazuma shook his head. "It's a full tang, hand forged, and high carbon steel blade. It's definitely not just for decoration," he informed. I blinked and looked back down at it. Wow. This decorated and NOT a ceremonial piece. It must have been terribly expensive!

I frowned then. "What are you going to use it for if it's not a ceremonial piece? I didn't think you knew any blade techniques…"

Kazuma smiled. "Oh, but it's not for me. The entire set is yours once you can properly use them. Consider it a parting gift…" he said. My heart skipped… several beats.

"But… they're mine… wait… SET?!" I stuttered, utterly shocked.

Kazuma laughed. "Yeah. There's also a tanto and wakizashi in the office. As a bonus, I threw in an odachi as an extra as well."

I felt faint… "But… why did you… these must have been so expensive!" I exclaimed, still shocked.

Kazuma held up his hand. "About as much as I get Kyo for his Birthday… Besides, you're one of my best pupils so I couldn't let you leave empty handed. Consider them an additional way to protect Kisa…" he explained. Wow… slightly overkill, but since when has that ever bothered me?

I smiled then. "Thank you, Kazuma. You're too kind."

"Don't mention it. Now hurry off to your princess before you're late," he reminded. I grinned and took off towards the entrance to the dojo, my day having been brightened considerably!

* * *

**Reasons to Live**

* * *

Slipping my shoes off, I stepped up into the entryway and stretched lazily. Now all that was left of the day was to eat and then go home with my Princess… I could finally let myself relax! I smiled happily as I walked into the main hall. Inhaling deeply, I sought out delightful smells of cooking in the air to possibly give me an indication of what Tohru was making… and… 

My face suddenly felt hot and I gagged uncontrollably. What was that SMELL?! What the hell was Tohru MAKING?!? Rushing forward, I peeked into the kitchen to see if she might have accidentally died in there… and… oh. Kyo. He seemed to either be attempting to cook something or burn garbage on the stove…

"What ARE you making?" I asked in repulsion.

Kyo turned to look at me before snorting. "Food, of course. With Tohru gone and Yuki refusing to cook, that leaves just me," he informed. Wait… what?

I blinked. "And… where's Tohru again?" I asked, extremely confused now. I HAD heard her right… I thought…

"She's still out with Kisa. They probably stopped somewhere after the movie…" Kyo deduced. That… was strange. Stupid Riceball. She WAS prone to forgetting things… but…

I heard footsteps then from the entry hall and smiled. Or they were just running late. Walking back into the main hallway, I saw Yuki come in instead. Err…

"Oh, hello Hiro. Kisa and Miss Honda aren't back from the movies yet so you'll have to wait a little while to pick her up still," Yuki said as he walked past me. I frowned. Okay… so Tohru did forget.

"Weird…" I muttered, somewhat to myself.

Yuki looked over at me after hanging his jacket up. "What's weird?" he asked.

I frowned. "Tohru said she'd be back RIGHT after the movie to make everyone a late supper… that's all," I explained. Yuki joined me in frowning.

"Well… that IS strange. It's not like her to forget about making food for everyone. If it were anything else, there'd be weight to it but… not taking care of everyone," he contemplated. I sighed. So… where was she?

Kyo stuck his head out of the kitchen and looked over at me. "She really said she was going to be back that soon?" he asked, sounding slightly worried. I nodded.

"Yeah. I talked to her and Kisa in the park this afternoon. She even invited me so I made a point to be here on time, of course…" I informed. Yuki's eyes widened.

Kyo frowned as well and looked towards Yuki, who nodded. Kyo's head then disappeared back into the kitchen. A few seconds later, I heard the click of the stove being turned off.

Yuki looked towards me then. "They probably just got sidetracked but we're going to go looking for them. Care to come?" he asked.

"You really had to ask?" I returned, smiling. He chuckled.

Kyo exited the kitchen and grabbed his coat from the rack. I went back out into the entryway and got my shoes. "Beats Kyo's cooking anyway…" I heard Yuki mutter as he followed me.

"Hey! I'm better than you are, damn Rat…" Kyo shot back, rapidly cramming his shoes on. Yuki just smiled at him before heading out the door.

Yuki was driving as it was his car, of course. Kyo got shotgun and I piled into the back, too tired to fight with him anyway. They probably just stopped for ice cream or something, though. Then we'd make them feel bad… I chuckled.

"What's so funny, brat?" Kyo asked, looking back at me with a raised eyebrow.

I laughed this time. "They probably just stopped for ice cream or something and we're going to make them feel really bad by looking for them… that's all…" I pointed out. Yuki chuckled and Kyo grinned.

"Well I'd rather know they're safe than anything…" he replied, softening his eyes slightly. He… really did care for Tohru. I felt the same for Kisa of course so I could respect that.

I nodded. "I know what you mean…"

We went in silence for a while. The first stop was the movie theatre of course. As expected it was totally deserted. It was starting to become night after all and the movie had been over for almost twenty minutes now. I looked up as a flash of light occurred above the car. Droplets of water started to appear on the windshield then and I sighed. They probably didn't have an umbrella either…

Yuki shook his head slowly and drove on. The next stop was the park, logically. I kind of doubted they'd be eating ice cream in the rain though, so that had become illogical. The park was almost entirely deserted when we got there. Figures… The rain always did have a way of dampening things after all.

We drove on… Kyo was getting more and more frustrated the more places we unsuccessfully checked. We even drove past the school. The café was the last place I could think of. When we got there, there were only a couple of people sitting under the umbrellas and none of them were the girls. Where were you, Kisa? I wished I had brought her cell phone to her last night. It was still charging in our apartment, though.

I stared blankly down the dreary, rain soaked streets as we went along. This was starting to get me worried. Something inside me was stirring. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to have let her go alone? But Kisa is good at taking care of herself. I'm sure even if a mugger or something attacked that she could handle it… right? I frowned and got a headache… Something felt… wrong. Left?

I turned to my left and looked out the window again. A clap of lightning from far above… The street was briefly illuminated beyond that of the approaching night. My eyes widened! A small group… Ten at most. A block down the street? They were gathered… Someone was up against the wall of the building and… surrounded!

"Stop, Yuki!" I exclaimed rapidly. Yuki applied brakes instantly and looked back at me. He saw where I was looking and rapidly looked past Kyo and out the window. Kyo was already looking of course. He let out a growl as he saw it…

The door was open before even mine was. He went to lunge forward but I stopped him. "What?! That's Tohru up against the wall! I'm sure of it…" he growled lowly at me.

I just shook my head. "Shoes first…" I muttered. Yuki raised an eyebrow but Kyo blinked a couple of times before looking back at the group. After a few more seconds, he looked back at me and grinned, nodding. Yes… that's the best way…

Both of us kicked our shoes off before simultaneously sprinting towards the crowd. It made sense, really. Poor lighting… focused group of enemies… quiet approach… Kyo was as silent as the cat that possessed him as we ran. I'd just been trained for an extremely long time, of course.

Twenty feet. I could see them clearly. All of them were females in long, brownish-red trench coats. Against the wall was indeed Tohru! Kisa was three feet away from her, arms extended in protection! My eyes widened! There was a gash on her left arm and blood ran down it to her fingers. She also had a nick on her cheek that dripped blood down to her chin. My speed increased…

Kyo saw them too and matched me bound for bound! Eight of them, apart from Kisa and Tohru! The one directly in front of Kisa was holding a flashlight, however! Excellent. That would limit their field of vision to just the light area. I pointed at the one in front of me and then made a hundred and eighty degree circle with my finger before pointing to Kyo. He nodded and slowly crept around the circle. Now with luck, there wouldn't be lightening…

Kyo nodded from the other side of the circle. I nodded back. In one fluid motion, I reached forward and clamped my hand over the one's mouth. In the same motion, I bashed my other hand direction into her stomach. She went out instantly and I watched Kyo while holding her in place…

"Listen… We don't care about you at all, little girl. Just give us Tohru and you can leave…" the leader suddenly spoke. What?!

Kisa growled. "Shut up! I'm never giving you Sis!" she snapped back, looking like she wanted to rip the woman in half…

By the time I looked back at Kyo, he was also supporting an unconscious girl. I nodded once more to him. He returned it and started to move… He went right and I went left. As we faced each other, both directions happened to be towards the building.

As another discovery, Kyo and I think remarkably alike in combat situations. My plan was to eliminate the threats as fast as possible. I'm not sure of his but it worked out the same. Both of us tossed our surprise victims INTO the ones nearest the wall. This smashed them violently off the wall and rendered them useless. We then turned the assault on the ones to the other side of us. Mine had barely started turning when she got my elbow implanted in her stomach! As she doubled over, I open palmed her chin and sent her backwards.

Kyo's technique seemingly called for a closed-fisted strike to his target's nose. Whatever it was, it didn't look much like a noise half a second later and she made a weird honk like a goose would. Kyo promptly put a foot into her chest and launched her backwards and into the street…

Suddenly the lights went screwy and I watched the flashlight land in front of me. I blinked and looked back at Kisa. Much to my amusement, she was now effectively standing on the leader, whom had planted her face into the concrete via assumingly Kisa's action. She wasn't moving much so I just stuck to assuming she was unconscious. We could sort out the fatalities later, I guess.

I turned to my right and saw that only one girl remained. She was shaking badly and slowly backing away from the three of us, shaking her head. What? We only took down everyone but her in less than two seconds. That wasn't THAT scary, was it?

I stepped over the girl that took out last and walked towards her. "So… what do you guys want with Tohru?" I asked casually as I walked towards her. Yuki was heading up the street as well, effectively cutting off her escape.

The girl just kept shaking her head, though. "No… no… it wasn't supposed to work like this! This was supposed to be easy but… why did…" she muttered.

"Why did we stop all of you? That's what you get for messing with our loved ones, don't you think?" Kyo asked her, seemingly calming down now. Kisa smiled finally and caught up about five feet to my left.

Kyo just shook his head and walked towards Tohru. I continued towards the girl. I'd gotten about five feet from her when…

The girl suddenly changed her expression to anger? "Fine! We were supposed to take you back but…" she started to scream while yanking something out of her left coat pocket! My eyes widened as I saw the glitter of metal in the poor lighting! Knife?! No… wait!

Time slowed to a crawl once again… My eyes widened as, in slow motion, she pointed the handgun past me and aimed directly at where I estimated Tohru to be against the wall! Kisa went wide eyed in my peripheral vision as well and started a sprint… but she was over ten feet away! Yuki was almost forty feet away, though…

I heard Yuki's starting shout of "Gun!"… Tohru's much higher octave scream started as well. Kyo was five feet from her and almost thirty from the gun! I… was the closest to her but… but… Tohru… Kisa's big sister… was going to die if… nothing changed and…

There wasn't much to think about. I knew what was most important in this world. It was Kisa, of course. And if she lost her big sister… It would be like losing a portion of her soul. Kisa was… the reason I got up each day. She… literally… was my reason for living! I leapt…

Even this close, there was little that I could do. I'm fast but the gun was already raised and aimed, assumedly accurately! Swat the hand away? No… Too slow. Even if I reached the hand in time, it was her left arm so I doubted that I could force it away before reflex told her to shoot. Up maybe? That would be ideal but now that I was leaping, getting my hand UNDER hers would be hard to do in time. Looks like down was my only feasible option… but the skip off the ground might still hit her!

My arm hit the top of hers, right below the wrist… Down… Normally the bullet would skip and probably still hit Tohru but I failed to take into account a few variables… "Hiro!" sounded from behind me from Kisa…

The explosion deafened the area. Everything was numb and echoing… then silence. It was like I was stuck in a void. I couldn't feel the rain anymore… The gun had gone off… but… directly into my stomach instead of at Tohru, as the girl had planned. Her eyes widened as she looked down at me. My strength… faded in an instant. But…

Time seemed to crawl as I started to drift backwards… I refused to let go of the gun however and managed to yank it from her hands while she was still stunned. The gun went off to my left somewhere in the direction of Kyo and Tohru while I fell… A smile came to my face. That was it… The girl was powerless to hurt Tohru now…

The primal scream from Kisa surprised me, however. I could barely see through the sudden darkening night, but her feral lunge was breathtaking! Before falling beyond my vision, I saw her collide knee-first into the girl's chest and violently bring her hand down in a raking motion towards the girl's face! I'd never known Kisa was capable of such a feat… Her eyes blazed with intense fire even as tears flooded out! I thought I saw a flash of the girl's face bone before it fell beyond my sight.

The impact of the ground never came, really. At least I didn't feel it. I saw Tohru scream… but no sound came to my ears… Such a surreal feeling. It was like I was falling asleep slowly while being aware of it. I smiled at her. Tohru was alive…

Suddenly… I was so sad. Kisa… I wanted to see her face once more… but… I tried to inhale but discovered that I couldn't find the strength to. This was… what everything was for, then? I felt tears build up by themselves. I'm sorry, Hinata. I… can't keep my promise anymore… but… remain strong…

Whiteness was all around me by now. I sighed and didn't bother to try to inhale this time. Feeling nothing, my last view of the world faded to white as Tohru was shouting something at me… or maybe Kisa… I'd never know now, of course. I'm sorry, Kisa… but I love you and always will. My thoughts were of love and I smiled, silently wishing I could see her one last time… Everything faded to white…

* * *

**Chapter 21 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

Heh… don't kill me for that ending… please? Um… yeah… anyway… This chapter was… a little sadder than the last… um… Hey, I put Hinata in it after kind of ignoring her for the last four or five… so that's a good thing, right? Plus this chapter had a little bit of Kyo x Tohru anyway… so… yeah. Oh yeah, and for those not familiar with the parts of a Japanese sword or any of the other words I used, here are the rough translations:

Katana - Japanese for Sword. Also refers to a type of sword in particular that's curved and roughly about three feet in length.

Wakizashi - A slightly smaller blade, only going to about two feet long. Typically worn in tangent with the katana by a samurai.

Tanto - The Japanese version of a dagger. It still has the curve of the katana and wakizashi but also sports a much sharper point. Typically used to remove or pierce armor on the battlefield or commit seppuku, a ritualistic form of suicide via disemboweling.

Odachi - Technically any blade longer than three feet. They're typically bigger, however. The one I actually own is five feet in blade length, as an example.

Saya - The sheath or scabbard for a Japanese blade.

Tsuka - The handle of the blade.

Tsukamaki - The wrappings that are typically around the tsuka.

Tsuba - The cross-guard on a katana blade. Typically decorated.

Kashira - The pummel on the end of the handle.

Fuchi - The collar of the handle.

Koshirae - The decorations used on the tsuka and saya.

Habaki - The ring of metal at the base of the blade that locks the tsuba in place and keeps the blade wedged in the saya.

Full Tang - That means that the metal from the blade continues the full length of the handle with the handle conforming to it. Blades made like this are far more sturdy and harder to break. Cheaper versions are the rat-tail tang, where the tang is basically a screwed in thing, or the tab tang where barely an inch of metal is inserted into the handle. While these are cheaper, they also make for a weaker weapon.

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, though! Now onward with the review responses!

**Individual Review Responses:**

**Ronandhermy:** Well I spoiled you again this time too… heh. Not sure about that so much with the ending I left you with… but eh, close enough. And I'm finally out of the filler! Woot… This should get exciting now, ne? And yes, if you rush right to the action, the story ends up being ONLY about the action, which does tend to suck. And… ew… I remember High School all too well. Wasn't a very pleasant time for me, really. But that's a long time ago so it doesn't really matter. Heh. And… you're as scary as ever, I note. -blink blink- As for reactions from the school students… well they obviously didn't make it back to school yet. -sticks out tongue- Anyway… yeah. I'm hoping I'll be able to update sooner this time around, now that I seem to have found my muse again. Thank you for reviewing though and I hope you like this chapter just as much, if not more!

**Arc Knight:** Guess what? Two MORE chapters… Heh… You just had to wait two and a half months to get them… -cries- As to your predictions of their first… you're probably right. It does seem in character for them… but you'll have to wait a while it seems. Most of the time, both participants need to be among the living if you want any semi-balance of humanity preserved. -shudders- But yes, on a better note, I think I've managed to bring a little drama back to the story, ne? And lots more appearances of Kazuma-sensei as well… I enjoy his reaction on the story too. Although I never should have even bothered asking as Yuki x Tohru was soundly defeated with NO votes at all… Ah well. This makes for a better story, actually. Heh… Heheh… Muahahahaha! Oh, and I'm terribly sorry about the bold thing. For some odd reason, the bold didn't copy over when I uploaded it and I forgot to double-check like I normally do. It should be fixed as of now. And I know I'm not breaking any review records, but perhaps its my rating? Fanfiction DOES automatically filter out the M rated ones… so I probably don't get as many readers in the first place. Ah well… I'm happy as long as some people can enjoy the story. That IS why I write… Thank you for reading my story for so long though and thank you for so many reviews! They're very helpful… -bows-

**Lightningstrxu:** Heh… I just tossed that story in for fun and filler during break anyway… It was for humor mostly and new takes on the curse… I thought it turned out reasonably well for its concept. I'll be getting a little more serious, now. And yes, Hiro has an extremely sensitive ego, even for a boy, if you'd note… -chuckles- Thank you for reading the story from the beginning and reviewing every chapter, though! It means a lot to me to see that people enjoy the story and that it's not for nothing.

**Zith** Aww! Thank you! It almost makes me happy to hear that people enjoy my story. I love to entertain people and if feedback is telling me that it's actually working, even better. -grin- I've tried to make the story as emotionally realistic and in-character as possible while showing growth for both of them. And I agree. Just jumping into a lemon or lime right away totally ruins everything, especially if that's not in the characters' personalities. And don't worry about the criticism. Criticism, when constructive, can be very helpful! And in this case, you've reminded me about a character that I've been neglecting to give the spotlight to… so just because I now feel bad for ignoring poor Hinata, I now give her an entire section! Hope you enjoyed it… and you'll be seeing more of her soon. She IS written into future storyboards already. Thank you for reading the story so far, though! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

**Anonymous:** Aww… What are you confused about? I'll try to explain it as best as possible. The genre is changing slightly for the story, that's all. I'm adding a bit of adventure, if you will. Hopefully that will explain it more. The adventure element is somewhat gory by nature though so expect a bit more physical violence to follow shortly. There's no point in my lowering my detail when it gets to those sections only, so they'll be described equally well. And… -chuckles- I can't tell if you're being sarcastic there or not. Yeah… they're rather awkward about everything, but I think that plays in more with their personalities than anything else. It's cute… But thank you again for reviewing and I hope you find these two chapters to be as interesting as you expected. -smiles and bows-

**TatianaSaphira:** Yay! By now, you've probably celebrated your birthday, right? -smiles- Congrats! And their adorable cuteness seemed to lend itself to and awkward time there, so I was only following their personalities. In some ways, I don't really fully control things. I just stick them in different situations and watch them do whatever they normally would. That probably sounds strange… especially seeing as they sometimes surprise even me… Heheh… and um… yeah. I'm sorry. I tried my hardest to read your Fruits Basket story but I found myself blushing more and more the further I read and eventually I decided to stop instead of risk getting a nosebleed… Heh. I'm really easy to embarrass, anyway. Maybe I'll give it another shot in a few days. Oh, and Aplome? I can't seem to find a definition for it… Thank you for reviewing, though! I hope you enjoy these two chapters as well.

**Ten-Thousand-Lilies:** Heheh… yeah. They tend to be extremely sensitive to things. And I think I've portrayed how they'd normally react, given their personalities and background. They're eventually getting better as their past is left further and further behind, though. -smiles- Thank you for reviewing though and I hope you continue to enjoy this story!

**Ninde-chan:** Heh… My mother's a lot like you it seems. She randomly called me the other day and yelled at me because she had stayed up until five in the morning reading the story… Heheh… And yes, they got very close in this chapter… but I'm not sure if anyone was expecting this. Heh… Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! -smiles- Oh, and adorable penname, by the way!

**Red Shagging Couch:** It's okay! -smiles- At the rate that I update, you still had time to review before I posted again anyway… heh… You have my full sympathy and understanding about school, though! Ug… And yeah… I did a looking back at other chapters and decided that maybe it was time to treat Hiro a little nicer for a little bit… -chuckles- And then I did this… Some days, I really think I'm like a demon or something… heh… Sorry about the ice cream thing, though. My teeth are really sensitive and if I eat cold things, they hurt. And yes, that was my private comment that nobody seems to learn from their mistakes… and the awkwardness just seemed to fit them so well… It's adorable! And… um… update soon… uh… -gulps- Gomenasai? Thank you for the reviews and… um… I really hope you keep reading, even though I'm slower that a turtle dragging a semi when it comes to updating… heh… I hope you enjoyed these two chapters, though!

**Wreakhavoc:** Wow… Someone's still as hyper as ever. -snickers- And your chaotic review is definitely a tribute to your name. -sticks out tongue- Thank you, however. I'm sure the President would get a very big kick out of four billion 'wtf's on a page that was randomly mailed to him. I AM glad you're back, though. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoy these two just as well!

**Kisshu-luv:** Ah! Thank you!!! Hiro is an extremely complex character. He knows what he wants and how to get it but his personality and ego often get in the way, making for lots of self-defeats that frustrate him even more. It's very amusing to write, anyway. And yeah… the annoying thing about Tohru is her absent-minded behavior towards those around her. She tends to ONLY focus on one thing it seems. Huh.. And I love doing Hiro's inner monologue! Sometimes it seems like he has a little chibi version of himself in his head, Kinda like Sakura from Naruto… -chuckles- It's fun, anyway… Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoy these chapters as well! -bows-

**Renia The Weirdo:** -laughs- Short review this time. And of course I didn't forget about you, Renia… Welcome back, anyway. -smiles- Thank you for leaving the review and I hope you like these two chapters as well. -bows-

**Beege:** Whoa! You're faster than I expected! I didn't expect you to start reading it so soon… -laughs- And you embarrass me with the praise! Wow… I try to make the story as realistic emotionally as possible. Plus you don't have the benefit of reading or watching it before this… but I'm fairly certain Wikipedia would be enough to give you the basic character concepts… -laughs- And I agree with you fully. I even cried while writing fourteen. It WAS a sad chapter. Thank you, though! Haru is one of my favorite characters to portray, however. He's one of the stoic friends that you can always rely on no matter what. It's nice. And Hiro's personality is what makes me want to write so much about him. Everyone started off hating him in the manga. That's why I wanted to show how nice he was inside. Plus it might prove to be an example of why it's so nice to have a significant other that treats you with respect! -smiles- I see too much of the other and it irks me. So I suppose there's a little of my views involved as well. That's probably why I like him so much. Plus, I figured it was in their personalities to have a slow and innocent exploration thing happen. Rushing into a lime or lemon would go against their personalities, obviously… but not including anything sexual would be extremely unrealistic and unnatural… so I think it stays true to them. I thank you for reading it all so fast, though! -sticks out tongue- The reviews prove to me that people are interested however so it gives me more gumption to write, for obvious reasons… Thank you once more and I hope you enjoy these two chapters as well… even if I do horrible things to Hiro again…

**SnowLion no Miko:** Oooh! Another cool penname! -smiles- Thank you for the review! Every review I get proves that people are interested in my story enough to say something about it. I love to entertain people and that's proof that my work is paying off. -nod nod- Thank you. I know I'm a little slow at updating but I think I've worked most of it out. I'm finally writing again, anyway! -celebrates- Anyway, thank you again for reviewing. It really does mean a lot to me… I hope you also enjoy these two chapters!


	22. Lost

**Disclaimer: Warning! This chapter is considerably darker and more violent than normal for this story. This, I feel, is needed to accurately move the storyline, so I apologize if this chapter disgusts some people. Thank you for your understanding. -A.T. **

* * *

**Chapter 22 - Lost**

* * *

After a while, I resigned myself to simply drifting there. At first, I had struggled against everything around me… only to realize that there wasn't anything around me. I sighed again and once more, no sound came out. Where was I? My eyes opened to stare into the eternal darkness ahead of me again. It had been white for a while but… It seems the longer I stayed here, the darker it got. Now it was almost… deeper than darkness. Far more empty than the darkest night. I didn't like to stare at it. It almost seemed like it was staring back… 

So I closed my eyes again and contemplated how I got into this nightmare realm. It was all too clear in my mind. Why had I been so… stupid?! I'd saved Kisa's sister from being shot. The results? I was shot instead. In order to save Kisa's sister, and thus keep Kisa happy, I had to die. Me dying made Kisa sad anyway… so wasn't that kind of pointless? I guess it came down to which of us dying would make her sadder. It was a moot point now, anyway…

I started silently laughing again. Now it really was funny! Everything up until this point really was for nothing… but…

Feelings returned suddenly and a flare of light hit me like a lightning flash! Wind… I could feel wind again on my numb skin! Wait…

Falling. I was falling again! I managed to rotate around and look just before smashing into the car once more. Like so many times before, the pain seemed impossibly real as I smashed through the roof and was almost broken in half by the seat… Mother was gone this time. To replace her was Kisa. She was just calmly watching me, even though tears plainly flowed down her cheeks. After everything had finally stopped moving, she slowly approached and kneeled down to look at me.

I… wanted to say something but… nothing came out. All I could do was stare vacantly. She smiled softly then and picked up what was left of my arm, lifting it to her chest. I wanted to scream and cry but… nothing happened still. Kisa lost her smile then and looked down. "Why… Why did you have to leave me alone here, Hiro?" she suddenly whispered, barely audible.

Yet still I couldn't voice any defense. It hurt so much and I couldn't make my body move! "You… left me here. You went where I can't follow! Why…? It's not fair. Don't you love me?" she asked, closing her eyes again. I tried so hard but nothing was working… I couldn't even cry…

The tears sliding down her cheeks suddenly turned a vibrant shade of red… Her mouth twisted into a half smirk, half smile then and her… eyelids opened once more. The eyes were gone however and empty and dark sockets stared at me instead… so much like the darkness before… Her face twisted into something between Akito and a demon as she laughed then. "Don't you love me anymore?" she then asked snidely…

My eyes widened finally and I opened them into a silent scream… only to be staring into the impossibly deep darkness again. Damn it! I… sat up!

My eyes instantly settled upon a negative world. The sky was that horrible darkness that wanted to swallow me alive… The ground was the source of light this time, if you could say that. It was a pitiful and pasty gray color and the light it produced was weak at best. The grass stood unmoving as I rested on the hillside above the school again.

There was no wind today, however. Everything was shades of gray and black, and absolutely still. It felt like there was a… static and unmovable quality to everything. As if I was staring at a world that was deprived of its own time. I shuddered when I reminded myself that it used to be my world…

Something felt off, however. Upon closer inspection, I noticed there were large cracks everywhere. Some just a foot or so across… Others, like the one that split the school in half, could have easily managed a bus length. The school wasn't split, really. To be split implied cut in two and separated. No… This was more… reality was cut along the crack. There was no separation but… everything above the crack was twisted and broken. Chunks of the school drifted skywards, frozen in destruction and mutilation.

It was so cold. The air was unmoving and so static that it seemed to freeze me as well. My bones ached as I managed to stand again. What… was this nightmare? Where were… the people?! Suddenly an echoing giggle sounded in the utter silence. It seemed to be coming from the school. I shook my head and walked towards it, silently dreading the encounter.

The door was partially open when I got there. It looked like the place had been deserted for years. Weathering and decay had claimed most of the door and leaves were sparsely decorating the hallway as if they belonged there. My eyes widened as I saw the claw marks that bent the metal of the door frame! They had to be at least two inches in diameter! I shuddered slightly, trying not to think of what caused them before entering. Hopefully it wasn't still here…

The lights were off in the school and I instantly got that feeling that something dark and terrible was following me and was waiting to rip me in half when I turned around to behold its terrible visage. How nice it would be to suddenly wake up in my own apartment to discover it was a nightmare and Kisa was still sleeping next to me!

I heard the echoing giggle again, closer this time. I walked along the hallway that was frozen in destruction and decay. I'd gone to this school… I'd walked down this hallway so many times. To see it like this was painful. Following my feelings, I turned and entered the library. One of the cracks ripped through this area and left utter devastation in its path. The books so affected were also drifting up, some in shreds even. What… was the nature of this disaster, anyway?

Frowning, I approached the gap and reached towards the area over it. My hand got increasingly colder the closer it got and suddenly my mind flared with images of that terrible darkness! I withdrew rapidly, as if burned. Oh… The terrible sky was causing this. I rubbed my hand in vain attempts to draw out the cold ache from it.

I heard laughter then, coming from my right. Turning to look, my eyes widened again! Kisa! No…

She sat there almost ten feet above me on the destruction of a bookcase as it drifted off. She was smiling down at me while leaning her right arm and most of her body weight on one of the books from the shelf, now separated and partially destroyed. She was in that beautiful yellow dress, now pasty gray like everything else in this world. The stomach of the dress… and hers as well, was shredded, however! The blood that flowed out seemed to drift there, also frozen. It was… in color, though! Wait… stomach. That would have been exactly where I had been shot…

"Hey, Hiro. Welcome. Do you like it here?" she suddenly asked, smirking down at me.

I frowned, still not able to actually talk. Like it here? Who would like this nightmare?! Kisa laughed and nodded, as if able to hear my thoughts anyway. "Nightmare is probably right… but… I liked it, after all. Remember? Look around you, Hiro. This IS you," she suddenly informed, motioning around her. What?!

Shaking my head, I looked down again. No… this wasn't me. This place was… terrible… barren and desolate. There weren't any people here! Kisa giggled again. "Of course there's nobody here, Hiro. You never let anybody in. Did you honestly expect them to be here if you don't want them?" she asked.

The pressure was like a sledgehammer hitting my chest… I gasped and clutched at the area where my heart was! It… hurt so much suddenly! No! This wasn't… me… Falling to my knees, I just shook there, unable to find the strength to stand. I… felt motion then, and looked up in time to see Kisa land on the ground from the bookcase. There didn't seem to be any impact however and she didn't even bend her knees when she touched down…

Then she walked towards me and I got tingly. "Hiro… you're hurting and I can see that. I forgive you for leaving me here." She whispered then, sounding as if she was inches from my ear! My eyes widened then as she lifted me back up to my feet effortlessly. She… was indeed inches from me now and smiled so sweetly.

Her grip on my shoulders turned into a rub as she slipped her arms around my neck. I remembered her touch and felt slightly better. She was an inch away from me then and I remembered what it felt like to have her lips against mine… "Hiro… let me help you. I can make all of the pain go away, remember?" she asked softly, leaning closer… Half an inch, now. "Please, Hiro… I owe you so much, remember? I want to pay you back in… every way possible…" she muttered, lightly brushing against me. Snapping out of it, my eyes widened!

In one motion, I shoved her off and fell backwards into a roll! She wasn't Kisa! This was… The shove only served to move me away from her faster, however. She didn't actually move at all and just stood there, grinning. "So you noticed…?" she asked in amusement, in two voices at once. One was Kisa but the other… Darkness beyond that which I had ever heard before! What was this?!

There was nothing I could do… That wasn't Kisa! I ran…

* * *

**Nightmare**

* * *

The explosion seemed so much louder than what I thought it should sound like. I was barely three feet away, though. Everything seemed so slow… The girl had pulled out a gun! She was aiming the weapon at Sis! I had to do SOMETHING about it! 

Hiro was closer than I was, however. Even he wasn't close enough to stop the girl's first shot, though! Then I was amazed at the speed he moved at! I'd never seen him move so fast before… He managed to leap and bring the girl's arm down just as she shot! But…

The explosion quieted and seemed to suck all the rest of the sounds with it when it left. My eyes widened as I watched Hiro slowly fall backwards, ribbons of blood coming from his stomach… What had she… She shot… Hiro!

It was a new feeling… I'd never felt anything like it before in my life! I… hated her… What she just did to Hiro with barely a flick of her finger! I… wanted her to suffer for it! I wanted her to suffer and slowly die for what she did! The feelings flooded my mind and ate me alive!

I couldn't stop the scream of rage and hate from escaping my lips… The feeling was too powerful for me to control. The tiger in me took over instantly and I was in the air before I realized it, pouncing towards the girl! She didn't have the gun anymore… and looked shocked that she had actually fired it in the first place… but that didn't matter.

My knees impacted with her chest and bent her backwards at the waist. I heard a crunching noise, presumably from her ribs, as they dug into her flesh! The image of Hiro… my wonderful Hiro… falling backwards and bleeding… was burning in my mind! Not able to control my arm, my hand shot downwards and blinding speed! Before we even hit the concrete, I had raked my right hand across her face and ripped her flesh to ribbons!

The girl screamed in pain and attempted to lash at me with her arms. Things were so slow… I saw the arms coming before they hit and violently snapped both at the elbow. Joint locks would take too long… Breaking was much more painful and faster as well! Her scream escalated after her arms rapidly became useless and I dug into her shoulders with my fingers! I hated her so much! She just took away my favorite person in the whole world without a thought!

Two arms suddenly found my stomach and shoulders then and started to pull me away from the girl. No! She hadn't suffered enough yet! With one final scream of rage, I brought my right hand around and caught her in the jaw. Her other cheek became tatters in a second and her jaw snapped violently under my palm. Her head was knocked to the side and I saw that she lost consciousness finally… No…

"Kisa! Stop it!" I suddenly heard Yuki shout! My eyes widened and I drew back from the rage slightly… Hiro…

I tried to turn around and rush to where Hiro was but Yuki yanked me sideways and held me against him instead! No! "Let me go! I have to see Hiro!" I shouted, finally realizing that tears were pouring down my face…

"No, Kisa! Calm down. Kyo, call an ambulance! Miss Honda, see if you can help Hiro…" Yuki suddenly directed. His assured voice did manage to calm me down a little. I whimpered and leaned against his chest, crying fully finally. I heard the ripping of cloth then and assumed someone was attempting to bandage the wound…

After almost two minutes, I tried to turn to see Hiro again! "Kisa, you really don't want to look. Please…" Yuki muttered, holding me tighter. It was that bad?!

"Hiro…" I groaned, deciding that I wanted to see him anyway. Yuki sighed and finally let me go. Slowly, I crawled over to where Hiro was resting. Blood was all over the ground in a pool under him! Sis had his head up on her lap and was attempting to hold what seemed to be her entire right sleeve against his stomach. Her white sleeve was already stained red with blood but she held it there anyway, looking grim. I went numb…

Hiro's eyes were still open! He wasn't… moving though. I couldn't even see him breathing! Why were his eyes still open, then? If he was asleep, shouldn't they be closed?! He had the softest smile on his face, though… Sis looked up at me wearing a sad expression then. The feeling disappeared in my body and I slumped over, whimpering again. Why…? Why did this have to happen?! I couldn't even feel the rain…

The sirens finally snapped me out of it and I looked up in time to see a lot of police cars and ambulances arrive. Would Hiro be okay now? Yuki walked over and started talking to the first police officer that came out. Kyo headed off the two medics that were heading towards Hiro and explained about Hatori. Hatori was a great doctor! He'd be able to help Hiro… And we Sohmas weren't allowed to see anyone else anyway, so…

The medics lifted Hiro onto the stretcher after Kyo got done explaining and moved him towards the ambulance. I started to follow when Sis put her hand on my shoulder. "No, Kisa. You'll get in the medics' way in the ambulance. We're going over to Hatori's after this anyway so why don't you ride with us?" she asked. I sighed and nodded, following Sis back to Yuki's car.

It took almost ten minutes for Yuki to explain everything to the police. He seemed to go on forever. Kyo was outside the car still, talking on his cell phone as well. He was probably letting the family know... I just rested on Sis' shoulder and let her play with my hair absently. I couldn't think… Nothing that just happened seemed real anymore…

I looked at my hands. They weren't bloody anymore, having been out in the rain… Had I really… done that? It scared me when I realized what powerful emotions took me over. But… she had shot Hiro! She deserved it!

Sis' hand suddenly wrapped around mine and held it. I looked up at her and she smiled reassuringly down at me. "Hiro is being taken care of by Hatori, now. I'm sure he'll be fine…" she assured. I sighed and nodded slightly.

After another minute or so, I saw Kyo hang up the phone and walk over to where Yuki was talking to the police. They spoke a few words and Yuki nodded before heading back to the car. Kyo stayed with the police and started talking with them instead?

Yuki got in and started the engine. "Kyo's going to finish explaining the story. They gave me leave to drive over to where Hiro is…" Yuki explained after a few seconds. Sis nodded. I was finally going to get to see Hiro? I finally smiled slightly as the car took off…

* * *

**Weakening**

* * *

I cursed softly as I finally fell against the bench. The park looked far more eerie and disturbing in this world! Another large crack ripped through it and I saw various playground equipment drifting upwards and frozen in ruin. 

Crawling onto the bench, I rested on my back and just breathed heavily. I'd been running for a while and my body was absolutely freezing! I couldn't keep my breath for very long like this and it felt like my body was getting weaker and weaker… Not to mention that pressure would come back every once in a while and I'd fall over, feeling like my heart was being crushed! Damn it! Where was this place? That… thing couldn't have been right! This isn't… me…

Finally catching my breath, I just rested there, feeling sick. Absolute silence and stillness were all around me and it was starting to get to me… Nothing seemed to make noise! Not even my feet when I ran. I shivered again and tried to rub out the ache from my arms. It probably wasn't a good idea to stay in one place… I'd be warmer while moving, plus that thing might not find me again if I do…

Slowly, I sat back up again, my body fighting me the entire time. This didn't make any sense. What kind of sick metaphysical place was this? Giving a silent groan, I wandered around the lake edge. The jagged line cut into the lake, causing the water to froth and become darker at the edges of the cut. The water that had been actually cut rose into the air like everything else. The weird thing about it was that the water was actually cracked. Like it had been frozen in time before the force of the crack hit it. The lines were jagged, not smooth like normal.

I took more mental notes as I went, trying to figure out where I was as best I could. This place was a snapshot of our town, basically. Everything was static and I couldn't manipulate anything here. No matter how much physical force I applied, everything refused to budge. I couldn't even pick up a leaf if I wanted…

Stopping at our usual crepe stand, I looked appreciatively at the food. Even without color it still looked so good! How long had I been here? Hours? Days even? I didn't feel hungry, oddly enough. I shook my head and walked on. There had to be a way out of here. I seemingly wasn't dead after all… or… at least this me, whatever this existence was, wasn't…

The key must be in figuring out what exactly this existence is! Hmm. It's a photo-negative grayscale version of our town where every object seems frozen in time and random cracks of chaos and destruction were everywhere. This didn't help me much…

Idly wandering, I headed downtown to look for more clues. I had discovered that I can indeed jump the smaller cracks without too much discomfort. As long as I passed over them as rapidly as possible, it was okay. The objects must have been frozen before the cracks occurred. That's the only real feasible explanation for the damage they took.

Finally reaching downtown, I headed towards the coffee and sandwich shop I used to visit all the time. Familiar landmarks seemed to yield more clues, after all. My movement froze the second I stepped onto the shop's deck, however!

Haru was standing in front of the window of the shop, lazily staring into the place. He seemed to be looking at the sandwiches…? Was this… that thing, again?! It could probably change its appearance, so…

Haru suddenly blinked once into the glass and turned around slowly. "Oh… hey, Hiro. How are you today?" he asked casually. Huh?

"Well… besides being stuck here, pretty good I guess," I replied sarcastically.

Haru looked around. "It is a fairly strange place, isn't it? I've come to the conclusion that I'm dreaming, however… so I'll probably wake up soon," he informed. Uh huh…

I raised an eyebrow. "Dreaming? You really think so?" I asked.

"Yeah. The last thing I remember is deciding to take a nap while waiting for Rin to get back so we could go out tonight…" he explained, still seemingly unfazed as to his location or my existence there.

Interesting… Even more interesting was the fact that I could actually talk to him! I'd just realized several things at once… "So… have you heard from Kisa… or Kyo… or Yuki… or anyone lately?" I asked casually.

Haru shook his head, seemingly bored. "No. I haven't been to Shigure's in a few days. I should drop by soon."

Well he certainly acted like Haru. No weird comments yet, anyway. "Stop by as soon as possible, Haru. I was shot earlier today and I think something is seriously wrong. And…" I started to explain, deciding that this might actually be real.

"There you are, Hiro! I was wondering where you went. Why do you like to leave me so much?" was suddenly spoken from behind me. Oh crap… It sounded like Kisa!

I spun around and discovered I was right. Kisa was walking towards me then, smirking still. The dress was gone and instead she was clothed in what looked to be… black leather straps? Well… I think "clothed" might be too strong of a word…

Haru stepped up next to me suddenly. "Kisa? What the hell are you wearing? And what do you mean by shot, Hiro?!" he asked, sounding irritated finally.

Kisa blinked a couple times and stared blankly at him? She wasn't expecting him to be here? Interesting. Noted. "Careful, Haru. That's not Kisa…" I warned.

Kisa giggled. "Why do you keep saying that, Hiro? I'm just trying to be nice…" she muttered, attempting to sound innocent. I started getting angry that this thing was abusing Kisa's image like this!

My eyes widened as she suddenly wasn't there! I started to look to my right as I noticed her appear there instead! Haru was just starting to turn too when she belted him in the stomach with a backhand! He went flying backwards and crashed into a table! Haru!

"You bitch! Stop using Kisa's image like this!" I shouted, whipping into strong spin kick! She raised her arm up and managed to block it with pathetically little give to the blow! Damn it!

Her hand suddenly shot out and found my neck! Oh crap! I grabbed it with both hands but she still managed to lift me off the ground with one arm! "Stupid boy! Don't you realize that you're going to die if you don't get stronger soon?" she asked, sounding a little irritable this time.

My eyes widened once again as Haru collided with her side… Well he recovered fast and… oh no. The look in his eyes as I was flipping told me he had gone black already. Kisa's eyes widened as well as she was knocked sideways! As she stumbled, he snatched her outstretched wrist and yanked downwards, causing her to actually cry out! She was entirely off balance at this point and he managed a grab… and lifted her entirely off the ground! She started to overpower his left arm so he just whipped her around with his right and smashed her into the side of the static wall!

She skipped off the wall and started upwards a little. He was having none of that, however, and smashed her back into the table, still using her wrist! I ALMOST felt sorry for her! "Go, Hiro! I'll hold this bitch off while you run! Once I wake up, I'll also tell everyone what happened here!" he shouted. I just gulped and nodded before turning and running!

"So… you wanna see what it's like to piss me off then?" I heard him scream out in rage before exiting earshot! So that really WAS Haru?! That means this existence parallels my original one! So it's like… a dream state or something? That didn't make sense because I could manipulate things there… And what's this about me dying if I didn't get stronger? Questions flooded into my mind as I ran as fast as I could…

* * *

**Hopeful Thoughts**

* * *

I sighed and moved restlessly against Sis. This was the longest day I've ever had. Hiro had been in surgery for almost four hours now! Hatori must be having a really hard time… 

Yuki was resting up against the wall, seemingly tired as well. Everyone was stressed, I guess. Sis was acting unnaturally quiet and worried, however… That didn't seem right, anyway. Although she WAS just threatened with a gun, so I guess it was understandable. The Ladies had attacked so suddenly that I didn't have time to think, really. It was like they were waiting in ambush specifically for us! The one had requested that Sis come with them, though… so that might have been the case. Why were they after Sis, though?!

Kyo had come back about an hour ago. He said that the police believed the whole story, after considering the reputation of The Ladies anyway. Now he was sitting next to Sis and attempting to comfort her. I didn't want to interfere so I was by myself for a little bit…

Momiji had also dropped by and expressed his concern over the situation. He said he'd go get Haru and Rin too, if he could find them. Neither had answered their phones when Kyo tried, anyway. They were probably out enjoying themselves, too. This news wasn't going to be expected, so…

I sighed and curled up in my chair again. I wanted to just wake up from this nightmare and find Hiro peacefully sleeping against me! This wouldn't have even happened if I hadn't gotten so worked up over that stupid letter! I started shaking there, unable to stop myself from crying again… This wasn't fair at all!

Yuki started to look over at me when the door suddenly opened and almost smashed him into the wall…

Haru wandered in followed by a very confused looking Momiji. "Wait… so everything is true? Hiro was actually…?" Haru asked, looking around.

"Yes. You don't have to be so blunt about it. It's hard for us to believe, too," Yuki replied, stepping out from behind the door. Haru frowned instead, a look of great concern on his face. That's unusual for him… but he does like Hiro so…

"Kisa… I need to talk to you. Do you have a moment?" Haru suddenly asked, sounding very serious. I gulped and nodded, wiping my eyes slightly. Haru kneeled down in front of me then. "I know this is going to be difficult to believe, but try to listen…" he started.

Everyone gave him weird stares but he ignored them entirely… "I just had a dream. It was a weird dream and I was in a strange place. Hiro was there and he told me that he had been shot and something was wrong… Then a crazy psycho who looked like you walked up and proceeded to attack us. I told Hiro to run while I held her off, but she was too strong for me and I lost after a while. Hiro got away but I think he's still trapped in whatever that place is! I think it has something to do with your dream thing so maybe you can help him," he suddenly explained, somehow in one breath. I blinked at him a few times. What? Hiro was… being attacked by me…? But I would never… My eyes got watery again. Is this what Hiro thought?!

Wham! Yuki's foot went into Hatsuharu's shoulder… He went toppling over in a loose pile and idly stared up at Yuki from his new position. "What was that for?" he asked blankly.

Yuki growled. "For telling her that stupid line of crap and making her cry!" Yuki growled down at him.

Haru blinked and I got confused. He seemed to actually believe it, though… Momiji shook his head then. "I'm… not sure it's a line of crap. He told me that BEFORE I told him about Hiro getting shot…"

Yuki stared blankly at him before sighing and helping Haru up. "Okay… say we believe you. What is this dream thing you mentioned?" Yuki asked irritably.

"I'm supposed to go into Hiro's dream and help him fight off… me?" I suddenly asked, realizing that he was probably telling the truth.

Sis tilted her head towards me then and Kyo looked around her and over at me. Yuki raised an eyebrow but I nodded to him. "It's true, after all. Hiro and I can share each other's dreams when we're in direct contact while sleeping. We've been doing it for years…" I explained, blushing slightly. It gave me hope, though. If Haru had encountered Hiro in his dream and Hiro was okay, all we had to do was save him from whatever this is and Hiro should be all better!

Sis smiled happily at me. "Don't worry, Kisa. I believe you. And if you think this will work, I guess it's worth a try," she explained happily. I smiled at her and nodded. Yuki finally smiled too.

Haru nodded. "You shouldn't go alone, though. This girl is seriously powerful. Can you think of some way to draw, say… us three back in with you?" he asked then, motioning to Kyo and Yuki as well.

I shrugged. "I… don't know how Hiro did it for you in the first place. Normally it only works for us, but… he might be in a state where he can do it for anyone… I don't know…" I replied, trying to think. It didn't make sense… Why was Hiro able to do that from so far away, too?! "I don't… understand how he did it… or why an image of me is attacking him in the first place, but…" I muttered sadly.

Haru shook his head. "I don't think it's your image, Kisa. I think it's someone who's just trying to look like you to confuse Hiro," he commented. I frowned. Others knew how to FORCE the dream thing? That's not… good. But some other woman was trying to look like me to confuse Hiro?! I growled slightly and Haru laughed. "Yeah… it pissed off Hiro, too," he added.

"What was her style like, Haru? You said you fought her…" Yuki asked. Haru shook his head.

"Style isn't the best word for what she does... She has a sneaky instant movement technique and superhuman-like strength. Beyond that, she's utterly klutzy and doesn't seem to actually have training. Hiro could probably take her if it wasn't for that stupid instant movement thing. She was stronger than me, however, and I've never been that good at subtlety and technique..." he explained, causing Yuki to nod. Huh…

"So if we team up on her and out-technique her, she should go down," Kyo speculated, causing Yuki to nod once again.

I chuckled. "Once I find a way to get everyone in there, anyway…" I reminded, causing Yuki to laugh.

"Yeah. Focus on the basics first… Now tell me more about everything around this dream thing…" he asked.

I nodded and started to explain…

* * *

**Unlocked Hate**

* * *

I sighed and rested against a tree. This sucked. I'd been walking for hours and hadn't heard or seen anything, really. Nothing moving and non-gray, that is. I seemed to be getting my strength back and I was rapidly getting adjusted to the cold. The pressure attacks didn't hit very often either. Was this a sign that I was stabilizing? If this truly was my "dream" state, could these signs give insight to my actual condition in the real world? That would make sense… 

What brought Haru here, though? I've never been able to do the dream thing with anyone other than Kisa… so… I frowned. It didn't make sense. It must have… been the coffee shop. If I can connect with people while they sleep… then I'd only have to think about them to have them appear, right? Then I'd just have to try harder…

I frowned… Nothing happened with Yuki… or Haru again. He was probably awake by now and Yuki was with me when I was shot so…

That ruled out Tohru and Kyo too… Crap. I sighed and tried Momiji. Still nothing. Damn it! Irony dictates that he should have been the only one I could get in touch with… I shook my head and walked on, still trying people. If I could just get some support… She looked to be a total untrained klutz if I could just take away that teleporting element! Then I can just dodge…

Still looking for additional clues as to the nature of this dream state, I headed to another familiar location. The tree… Yup, the one where I got my first kiss of course. I blushed at the thought and managed a smile, despite the situation. Kisa always managed to cheer me up, no matter what was going on. I entered the field and walked towards the giant tree. It must be ancient…

"Hiro!" I suddenly heard from the first branches of the tree! I froze… That didn't… sound like Kisa… Wait…

Hinata swung low and hung upside-down from the lowest branch, smiling at me as her pigtails swayed. I blinked. I… hadn't been thinking about Hinata and she's never been here… What gives? A… trick? "Hey, Bro! I was waiting for you! This place is creepy and I'm scared! Can we leave, now?" she asked, dropping from the branch and sliding down the side of the tree. I frowned.

"Sis… you've never been here. How'd you find this place…?" I asked carefully, not approaching still. Hinata frowned.

"I don't know! I woke up here…" she explained, getting watery eyes. Huh…

I tilted my head. Was it… the truth? "What do you mean woke up, by the way?" I asked, curious.

"Hinata was playing in the yard. Then I felt sleepy… and then I was here," she replied, looking sad. My eyes widened. What did… how was this…

I walked towards her then and she started smiling again. Nothing weird happened so I picked her up. She just giggled and snuggled into me? Wait… After a few seconds, her eyes widened and she almost crushed my neck in her arms! "I can hug you here!" she squealed happily. It was… She could…

Smiling, I held her against my chest. I'd never… been able to do this… "Hinata… This isn't a real place so it makes sense that this body I'm in wouldn't… transform," I explained. Hinata kept squeezing me, however… so I'm guessing she didn't care if the place was creepy anymore. Not that I minded either, anyway. Feeling happy for the first time in so long, I just held her there against me… Then, something nagged at the edge of my mind…

"Wait… why were you waiting for me? How'd you know I'd come?" I asked curiously. Hinata giggled more.

"Sis told me you'd come! She's nice," Hinata informed happily.

My heart froze. "K…Kisa told you…?" I asked, gulping slightly. Oh crap…

"Yes, I did. Consider it a… peace offering, if you would," suddenly came from behind me in a very Kisa-like voice. I set Hinata down and turned around to face her.

Hinata frowned and tilted her head at me. Kisa… or at least whatever it was pretending to be Kisa, walked closer then. It looked just like her but it didn't have her walk. Kisa didn't sway her hips that much when she walked… and was far more graceful with each step. This person was used to… longer legs? The steps were unnaturally lengthened.

"What do you want… and why are you using Kisa's image like that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. I prepared myself to expect an instant attack at any time. She could BE here in an instant, but her attack would be much slower!

Hinata frowned. "Kisa's… image?" she asked, almost to herself. She was a smart girl though so she might have noticed the differences…

Kisa smiled then. "Why, I want you, of course. This image was just a part of our first attempt to get you… but I've grown to like it. Your girl is extremely cute, after all," she replied, every word making me want to kill her more.

"So the image was to try to seduce me into… what? There's obviously more than one of you if you said "our", so what is your group after? What did you want me for…?" I asked, trying to control my voice. Hinata's eyes widened. Yup. She realized it…

Kisa giggled. "Perceptive, aren't you? I personally wouldn't mind if you joined us because you're hot… but the person telling me to do this thinks you have potential…" she informed in a nonchalant manner. I sighed.

"So you brought Hinata here just to let me hug her and talk to me like this, then…?" I asked, carefully monitoring her body language. Sudden moves would have me reacting before she even teleported…

Kisa nodded. "Basically. Once I discovered that you could bring others here, I decided to use that to my advantage. Fighting really isn't my thing… so… yeah. I can see the potential thing, though. Learning how to squeeze through the weave enough to speak even… then bringing others here… If you were trained, you'd be scary indeed."

I raised my eyebrow. That was a lot of things thrown at me at once… Weave? Trained? My eyes widened as I realized that the information had distracted me! She was gone in an instant… I whipped around but she was already jumping backwards and flickering away again?! Wait… it took me half a second to turn around… so she had a delay before she could teleport again each time!

My eyes widened again as I realized that she was holding Hinata! No! "You bitch! Give her back!" I shouted before she even landed. She grinned then.

"This was reason number two for bringing her here. With the technique we used, her actual life force is connected to this form, I might add," Kisa warned, stopping my advance… Damn it! Why did I get distracted like that?!

"Oh… I'm sorry. You wanted to protect this little girl, didn't you?" Kisa suddenly asked, bringing her hand up again. My eyes widened further as I noticed that it had turned into a twisted thing with a long claw extending off each finger! Finally showing her true form? She suddenly laughed. "I picked that one up… No, this isn't my true form. I can't access that here. I'm just borrowing these for now…" she added, explaining my thought. I growled… Hinata whimpered slightly and gulped.

"If you hurt her…" I growled angrily.

Kisa chuckled. "You'll what? Taunt me more? Are words all you're good at, boy?" she asked casually. Her hand suddenly slid up and a long claw scratched across Hinata's cheek. A thin line of red appeared and a single drop slipped out of the end and down her cheek. She only winced slightly but… My vision started to cloud… Flashes of Kisa in that hallway so long ago came to mind… No, not again!

I cleared the distance in barely a second! Jumping wouldn't do. She was too fast and I can't dodge once airborne. At the last second, I whipped my right leg up. She reacted by releasing the claw from Hinata's cheek and using it to head off my foot. Her reaction time was absurd! Nobody should be…

Continuing through, my right leg suddenly dropped as I altered my center. Kisa's eyes widened and she tried to lower her hand to adjust to my left foot now coming in instead! My feint worked! Now all that was left was…

As predicted, Hinata bit down on her still human arm. Kisa screamed and hesitated a second too late… My foot collided with her chest the second her hand winced away from Hinata! She smashed into the ground and skipped before coming to a roll and skidding some thirty feet off. I stayed in forward attack position, ready to counter anything she threw at me!

Kisa finally stood up after dusting herself off. "Psh… You think you're tough… I told you, I'm not a combat type. My human form can't actually put up that much of a fight against another more trained human. But if you really want to play rough… we'll just have to fight like…" she started… and was gone?! There wasn't the momentary fade this time! "…real monsters…" finished behind me. My eyes widened further as I whipped around as fast as I could…

It wasn't Kisa at all, now. Hands had both become nasty and clawed. Large, bat-like wings extended off her back. A long tail whipped back and forth. Eyes were solid black with dark veins extending out in every direction from them. Feet had become as clawed as the hands. Teeth were sharp and pointed now. Finally, dark tattoos covered all portions of visible flesh on her…

Hinata locked up when she realized that… thing was right behind her! NO!!! I started to scream out as fast as I could… Blood hit my face however. I… couldn't think. Hinata cried out as four claws exited her chest and stomach, spraying me with blood… My vision blurred slightly as my blood froze in my veins. Hinata was lifted off the ground then and brought up to my face level…

"Oh… silly me. Looks like I hit her instead. I always misjudge my speed on that first lunge. Maybe I should look into…" she started while smirking. I couldn't breathe. She managed to barely get her hand up in time to stop my fingers from impaling her throat! Her eyes widened slightly as she barely caught my hand! "Oh… look at that. Someone isn't messing around anymore," she noted. My eyes widened in slight surprise when I noticed the claws extending off each of my fingers…

Her foot launched at me however so I didn't have time to contemplate. I parried the blow with both arms but it still sent me sliding… I skidded to a stop and glared back up at her. She just laughed. "Wow… I should have done this in the first place! That's it… Unlock it so you can be useful…"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs! My legs moved at insane speeds then and I lunged along the ground! Things slowed once more… but my location didn't this time? Still traveling forward, I lashed at the last second! The thing's eyes widened again and she barely managed to dodge this time!

She spun as I skidded and turned again, now on the other side of her. "Oh… learning to blink move already. Hot… I see why he chose you now. Oh I so wish you would have fallen for my first try. Loving you would have been simply delightful! Especially in this place!" she squealed. I growled instead.

Hinata suddenly whimpered and shook slightly on the claw, trying to move… Hinata! The thing just laughed again and shook the claw. My scream of rage hit a new octave as I lunged again… This time my vision shifted to a light blue shade and everything slowed down so much more! This time, it hadn't even turned to look fully at me by the time I was slashing!

She screamed out as I burst past her again. Skidding to a halt, I smirked at the blood flowing down her cheek. She glared at me. Okay, speed adjusted to now. Next time I'd aim for her arm and snag Hinata as I went past! She wouldn't get her again now that I could keep up with her speed!

"You little bastard! You made me do this!" she screamed, whipping her other claw around! My blood crystallized this time as I burst forward with all my speed I could muster! No… she couldn't do…

The claws hit Hinata… All five of them collided with her body and cut in! I went numb and missed entirely, skidding to a stop behind her… What… had happened? My head hurt suddenly as I turned around slowly.

Everything seemed to focus only on Hinata… She was almost entirely cut in half. Blood was… everywhere and her face remained frozen in a pained scream, eyes now empty looking… "Oh… you missed entirely there. What happened? Oh… oops. I wasn't supposed to do that until you had agreed to join… Ah well. I guess I got a little ahead of myself… Hey! It didn't cut all the way. See? Another favor towards you…" the thing muttered absently while poking at Hinata. I started to shake uncontrollably. It felt like something inside me just snapped…

"Oh my. You look pale, dear. It's not healthy for a young boy like yourself to be that color. You should eat more… like I do…" she added, lifting Hinata's body up and licking the blood off her cheek.

My vision filled with a hateful blue hue then and I couldn't stop shaking. Hate… I could feel it rip up from inside of me! My vision shattered to rippling blue and everything become a blur…

* * *

**Results**

* * *

I sighed and looked down at Hiro. He looked so pale… Hatori had finally allowed us into the room about a half an hour ago. Hiro had been stabilized but was still unconscious. Hatori said that he might have hit his head or lost too much blood and needed more time to recover… but I knew better. 

Hiro's mother had also arrived a little while ago. Hatori called her to inform her of everything after the surgery was over with. To be honest, none of us really knew what to say to her before then so it was largely avoided. She rushed in right away, of course. Hinata came with her and now stood next to me, staring at Hiro as well. "Is Bro going to be okay?" she asked, frowning up at me. I smiled and nodded down at her. She returned the smile and nodded back before heading outside again. She trusted me so much… but I knew Hiro was going to be fine once he woke up. Now all I had to do is wake him up myself…

For a while, Sis and I just watched Hinata kick her ball around the yard. She was kind of inspirational, really. She had blind faith that her brother was going to be perfectly fine and wasn't worried about it at all…

Then she tripped and fell over. I smiled and stood up to see if she was okay… but she wasn't moving. Wait… My eyes widened as I rushed over to where she was! She was… asleep? That was… weird… Tohru was just standing up when I cradled Hinata into my arms. "She fell asleep…" I commented as I walked back towards Tohru. Tohru raised an eyebrow but I shrugged. Like I knew. Hinata was just really fast at falling asleep, maybe? I took her in to Hatori anyway, just to be sure.

Hatori examined her but shrugged as well. "I really don't see anything wrong with her but… we might want to do a few more tests, just in case," he explained, setting her down on the examination table next to Hiro…

I sighed. This day was getting worse and worse. I had a bad feeling, too… Walking back over to Hiro, I noticed that he had grown paler suddenly and I frowned. Was Hatori sure he was okay? I noticed his eye start to twitch suddenly. Huh? Oh no! Was that girl after him again?!

My attention snapped back to Sis when she screamed! Rapidly looking where she was, I saw Hinata start to spasm while on the examination table! I rushed over and held her, trying to stop the shaking… and then I noticed the blood! It was pouring in frightening amounts out of her mouth suddenly! Oh no… Not her…

Hatori rushed over instantly and struggled to haul a machine over, just as she stopped breathing! NO! An alarm suddenly sounded from Hiro's area. Glancing over, I noticed his heart rate skyrocket suddenly! Hatori looked up at Hiro and cursed under his breath. Hiro and… oh no. Don't tell me that Hinata was…! My eyes widened further as I looked back at the now still Hinata!

Hatori shouted "CLEAR!" as he lowered the defibrillator pads…

* * *

**Chapter 22 - End!**

* * *

Autho's Notes: 

Hello everyone. Wow… this chapter was a lot more gory and dark than I usually write but it was kind of needed to lead into the next developments. I apologize if anyone was offended. And what a way to end it! Wow… At least I'm posting the next chapter as well so the cliffhanger isn't as bad as I had originally planed, right?

Many new things are happening all at once now, as you can see. I'm going into my holiday vacation now from school, which means that my updating might be slightly slower than usual. I have my Playstation 2 again and I have to catch up on some gaming or I might lose even more sanity! -winks- As usual, I'll write more in the next chapter and put all of the review responses in there instead. The next posting probably won't be a double one though. Sorry…

-A.T.


	23. The Cost of Power

* * *

**Chapter 23 - The Cost of Power**

* * *

The blurring briefly stopped as I smashed into a tree. Using the intense momentum, I clung to the side of the tree before pouncing into the air again! The Kisa-thing was below, attempting to blink towards the exit of the park again… Stupid thing. It didn't deserve to live… so I'd happily rip it to little, tiny pieces… That would be fun… 

In the back of my mind, I detested the thoughts that were running free. I'd… exploded into hate! It had flooded up from nowhere and… something came with it. It… didn't just want to kill her, though… It wanted to play with her first. To slowly nick her body apart and feed off her pain! What… was this thing?! I could feel its hunger. It wanted so desperately to breathe in her misery that it made me sick. But I couldn't stop it now… I could see and feel everything I was doing but… something else was in control now…

I smashed into her back at high velocity, sitting on top of her as she slid along the ground like a snowboard, only to hop off again just before she crashed into the swings. Laughing in two voices at once, I just crouched there waiting for her to recover again. She had multiple gashes all over her by now and was growing increasingly panicked. It was funny to watch, anyway. My head hurt so much now…

"Damn you, you little monster! Why are the boys always so much more violent!" she screeched, wobbling to her feet again.

I laughed again. "Me… the monster?" I asked skeptically, pawing the ground towards her. My hands were twisted violently and had horrible claws like hers. I was just faster… stronger… and more pissed off…

"Yes! Boys are so unsophisticated! Fine… I guess I won't do this from the shadows, then. You can't avoid it anyway!" she screamed still, flushing slightly now. I tilted my head in amusement.

She raised both hands and her eyes flared a fiery red color suddenly. What was she doing? I was mildly curious but not too concerned. Suddenly a web of light and strange symbols exploded out of her hands! They covered my entire area in less than a second, effectively forming a "cage" around me. I growled slightly and paced to the right.

"See? You were totally outclassed from the beginning. Barbarianism can never overcome the sophistication that is the Weave. Give up…" she explained confidently. The cage suddenly started to close around me. I examined it more closely…

The Kisa thing then pulled out a dark gem and started talking. "It was easier than you predicted! I have him caged now…" she spoke into the crystal. The crystal seemed to respond to her voice and pulsed with a faint light as she talked. The hue of the crystal appeared to be a dark purple, which tainted the light of course. Interesting. I didn't hear a response but she nodded anyway… "Yeah… there were no major problems. He's a bit stronger than I anticipated, though…" she added. Heh…

Looking at the one particular beam in the cage, I focused on it. The creature in me suddenly "felt" it using a sense I really couldn't identify. All kinds of… information seemed to flood my mind suddenly and I winced. The creature manipulated the information however and reached inside us! My eyes widened as it tapped deep into the hateful feelings and sadness that created them. Bringing forth the energy it tapped, it lashed out…

Then I understood this world better. All the sadness… the cold… the hate… The freezing cold lashed out with the creature directing it! Ice exploded everywhere and no less than half of the cage froze instantly! Grinning in amusement, I simply pawed one of the beams and shattered the entire thing. The Kisa thing didn't seem to notice, though, and was still talking to the crystal. It took concentration, maybe?

Casually walking up behind her, I held up my right hand. Reaching back inside myself, I felt all of that hatred once more! There seemed to be an almost infinite supply of it… Focusing more, I saw the blue aura surround my clawed hand and I smiled before looking back at her. With one rapid motion, I smashed my hand into her back…

The creature instantly slipped behind her in total silence. My mind screamed out as I detected what it wanted to do! No! I wanted her to die… but… ripping her apart slowly… then feeding on her energy… NO!

The creature didn't seem to like being resisted and turned on my mind. The hate flooded everywhere and ate at the edges of my sanity, causing me to mentally scream out! I fought back and eventually managed to alter the creature's attack!

Instead of just ripping into her, I focused everything on the right hand. That same intense hatred flooded into it and I saw a light blue aura appear around the claw… Yes… With the aura in place, I stabbed towards her back!

Ice exploded everywhere, ripping through her back and exploding out her stomach as well… followed rapidly by my hand. My hand continued forward and impaled the crystal she was focusing on, cracking it in half instantly! She then made this stifled gasping noise and went rigid…

"So… I'm trapped huh? I should just give up hope?" I asked casually, smirking at her from behind. The creature asked it, really. We wanted the same thing to some degree, however, and it did give me power to accomplish that…

She shuddered before I ripped my hand out. Giving one more gasp, she fell forward to her knees. No blood exited her stomach as it was yet to thaw. This didn't stop it from dripping out of her mouth, of course.

"You little… bastard…" she groaned then, crawling towards the crystal chunks that fell. I grinned and stepped on the remainder of the crystal, shattering it with my clawed foot. She shook her head and I actually saw tears build up? The inner beast roared in happy triumph… "No… just… please…" she muttered as she tried to crawl away from me again.

I chuckled and slowly followed after her, using my toe claw to cut into her calf every few seconds. She was crying now and still trying to crawl… Blood was getting all over the ground and she was slowing down. Heheh…

Suddenly she reached into her pocket and drew out a smaller crystal. What was this now? She smashed the crystal into the ground then, causing a burst of blood from her hand… What the hell? My vision lit up with the senses of energy and the creature reacted faster than I did! Leaping backwards, I landed almost fifty feet back as the field of energy rapidly exploded over her area and "caged" the entire zone. I chuckled again and I could hear her sigh from here.

"Damn… Looks like I… failed after all…" she muttered before the area collapsed and she disappeared. I blinked and looked around. My heightened senses and special vision couldn't pick up anything strange, though.

Everything was quiet again… Suddenly wind hit me and I looked around. Pasty gray rapidly returned to the normal colors of life. The grass waved gently to the wind that was now blowing about me, cooling my skin. I felt the sudden urge and raised my head skyward before letting out a piercing, twin-voiced howl into the night sky. The sky seemed… so expansive… but much friendlier now. Stars dotted it instead and spread out endlessly above me.

My mind was suddenly cloudy and I wasn't really sure where I was. This… was confusing. My body ached from the toll I had just put on it and I wished my hands would at least go back to normal. Idly, I wondered what I looked like… The hatred receded then and a terrible, aching sadness replaced it. It was too much for my mind to handle… My breath caught and I whimpered, falling to my knees. Hinata… but… I finally gathered enough courage.

Crawling over, I looked at what was left of Hinata lying on the ground. Why…? Tears built up again as I leaned over her and brushed a claw over her cheek. It was so cold now… A spark of electricity shot out of her suddenly and lit along my thumb! What the…?

I thought about it. This was my dream… right? If my dream time rate passes much faster than in reality, there might be time to save her still… If they were indeed trying to revive her right now, there was still a chance!

Focusing, I calmed myself down and imagined Hinata. Keeping the image together of her playing with her ball, I tried to overlap that with the… one I saw in front of me… My dream responded and I saw her slowly but surely seal back together again before my very eyes. Well… her body was repaired now… but she still wasn't moving. Come on, Hatori! One more try! Please?!

My wish came true and she sparked again! Rapidly, I took the energy on this side as well and directed it into her heart! Her entire form shook suddenly and in a flare of light, she was gone… What?! NO! Where did she…? Sadness overcame me again and I fell over on my side. Damn it! I couldn't… save anyone. Was the only thing I was good at… destroying and hurting?

A two-voiced whimper sounded from me then as the rain started to fall again… This time I felt it, anyway…

* * *

**Startled Recovery**

* * *

"No! Please no! Not Hinata, too!" Hiro's and Hinata's mother cried out as she cradled Hinata to her. Hinata's eyes were still closed and she was absolutely still… I could feel my heart slowly cracking. This… wasn't fair at all. First Hiro and now… 

Suddenly her mother yelped as Hinata sparked again?! Hatori wasn't even near her with the pads… Hinata gasped suddenly and inhaled deeply! As she slowly exhaled, her eyes cracked open. After several seconds of weakly staring ahead, she gasped again and clutched at her chest and stomach while sitting up! "Hinata!" I exclaimed, lunging forward and hugging her!

She just trembled in my arms for a few seconds while her mother just smiled happily at her, crying still. Hinata coughed a few times then and Hatori brought her a glass of water. Hinata drank a little before coughing some more. Then she frowned and looked over at Hiro? "Brother… saved me. He's fought that mean lady so hard but…" she muttered quietly. Hiro was fighting right now?!

"But…" Hinata continued, widening her eyes suddenly. Her pupils shrank down and shook chaotically, though.

"Hinata?" I asked, concerned.

Hinata suddenly screamed out and started crying! I cuddled her against me again and her mother rubbed her shoulders. "…I… I died… Bro couldn't… stop her… and I don't know… what he… I… I died…" she stuttered out... My eyes widened further and I looked back over at Hiro.

Hinata finally started breathing normally again and… smiled? "But… Brother brought me back. He… saved me…" she muttered before slowly closing her eyes against me. At first I was concerned, but she seemed to be just sleeping…

Her mother took her then and I walked back over to Hiro. I… didn't know what to think. Hiro was fighting her by himself. Could he… win? Would he need help? Making up my mind, I crawled up onto the examination table and rested myself next to him. Hatori raised an eyebrow to me briefly but Yuki and Haru nodded. I nodded back and closed my eyes… Must… sleep…

"What's she doing?" Hatori asked then.

Yuki chuckled. "An experimental recovery attempt," he explained in an extremely vague manner, causing me to smile.

"Sure you don't need assistance, Kisa?" Haru asked after a few seconds.

I shook my head. "I don't know how to bring anyone with me quite yet so I'll try from the other side. I'm mostly scouting the situation right now, anyway," I informed, trying to calm myself down.

"Are you sure you'll be okay, Kisa? What if you can't wake up once you get in?" Sis asked suddenly, concerned. I smiled. Then there's no place I'd rather be locked in at…

I didn't tell her that, though. "Don't worry, Sis. I'll make it out. And I'll bring Hiro with me!" I exclaimed confidently! I didn't care what we had to face on the other side! We'd defeat them all and wake triumphantly from the dream!

It surprised me. It wasn't as much like falling asleep as it was touching my consciousness against his. I was gone in an instant…

* * *

**Frozen Dream**

* * *

Curse that woman! Something was seriously wrong with me, now… I couldn't manage to wake up no matter how desperately I tried! Something inside me seemed to be stuck… I couldn't explain it to myself, even. There was a frozen sadness that seemed to be gripping my heart. It was affecting the entire world I was in, even… 

It was snowing now. It hadn't taken long to get a couple inches built up on the ground. I… wasn't cold, though. It was strange… To my horror, I discovered that the cracks were still there. Time had resumed now and the floating chunks just knocked against each other chaotically, never leaving their general area.

I tried to extend my hand over one of the areas like before. It still got considerably colder over the cracks and partially frosted my hand over… Why?! Why were the cracks still here, even? That stupid bitch had left already…

Shuddering, I rested on the hillside again. Snow was all around me but I didn't care. It's not like I felt cold anyway… Hinata… was gone. My little sister had been… killed and… I tucked up against my knees and cried more. The real Kisa would be really nice to see right now…

Why did things like this always happen to us? Were we that cursed? Was it just a side effect dictating that we must always remain miserable or something?! I couldn't even protect my little sister! Did I really deserve to see Kisa again? Blue started to flow off me again… Crap.

The ground was frozen into ice and split in a few areas, presumably from the water expanding that rapidly… The snow got too cold around me and turned into something resembling sand. What… was wrong with me? Why couldn't I turn the ice off now?! At least my normal human form had returned earlier. I shook my head sadly and sighed.

I rested there being miserable for a few more minutes. Then, I suddenly felt slightly different. I frowned and searched out the feeling. It felt like… My eyes widened. Kisa! But… no, this felt like the REAL Kisa! Standing up, I looked around. The snow had lightened then and I could see quite a bit further. Then I stopped and thought about it. What the hell was I doing? I'd never "felt" Kisa's presence before. I didn't even know I could! How on earth am I going to suddenly figure out what direction she's in? I shook my head in sadness over my stupidity.

It seemed to be coming from all around me, anyway… It was… pushing downwards, actually. I looked up into the sky… and blinked. It had turned a nice shade of golden orange? What happened to the night? Orange…? Kisa. Okay… so… I got a headache trying to think about it. This dream… my supposed true self… my soul, even? It was a really messed up place…

The sky suddenly split with light and I was briefly blinded, looking back down again! Wow… "Graaaaah! Let me in!" I suddenly heard from way above, shouted in an impossibly loud, very Kisa-like voice. Kisa! I smiled and looked up again… only to lose my smile and widen my eyes instead!

The sky blew apart into burning, golden chunks! They fell rapidly and smashed into various parts of the snowy hillside around me, turning into massive golden fireballs! Well… that really can't be healthy for me if this area technically was my soul or something…

Then a giant fireball fell out of the newly created hole in the sky and descended at frightening speeds towards me! I sighed and didn't even bother trying to dodge… The fireball must have been heavier than I thought, however, as it undershot me by about thirty feet. The explosion was still enough to send me skidding backwards another fifteen feet or so! Gah! What the hell was going on?!

The flames melted the snow in a large area around the crater. I raised an eyebrow and went to investigate. It seemed that a flame was still going at the bottom of the crater, anyway. Wait… My eyes widened as the flame split into two and… bent?! I blinked and then realized they were taking the vague shape of wings! Kisa slowly stood up from the center of the crater, eyes still closed. My heart stopped briefly… Kisa. That was… really Kisa!

Beyond the large wings of golden flame, she was totally nude. Her hair blew wildly in the wind created from her landing. After a few seconds, her wings folded into somewhat of a cloak around her and she shivered a little. Then her eyes opened… My breath caught as well.

Her eyes were glowing golden! They were like mini-suns! How hard had she tried to break through whatever my mind was generating?! Then she looked up…

For the longest time, we simply looked at each other… Eternities seemed to pass before a smile danced across her mouth. Her wings opened again and in a single flap, she was descending towards me instead! I laughed just before she pounced on me and we rolled in the snow! Kisa! It was really Kisa! I opened my mouth to say something but she covered it in an instant with hers. Ah well. This was good too, of course!

"Hiro! I missed you so much!" Kisa muttered after breaking the kiss, only to nuzzle my chin instead. I laughed at the feeling and held her against me, careful to avoid the wings of fire off her back!

"I missed you too, Kisa… What… happened after I was shot?!" I asked carefully. I didn't know what condition my body was in… Maybe that's why I couldn't wake up?

Kisa smiled, however, so it couldn't be that bad. "Well… we called an ambulance of course. It was really stressful and you were in surgery for a long time! But Hatori has you stabilized now and says you should wake up at any point… so…" she rapidly explained, smiling again. Wait… what about… didn't Kisa know about… Hinata yet? It seemed unlikely that my Mother hadn't been called about me, and she probably would have brought Hinata… but…?

Kisa tilted her head at my concerned look and I frowned. "What… Do you know if Hinata's okay or not?" I asked, trying to not sound worried just in case the whole thing had been a bluff or something. Please let it be a bluff!

I got a laugh instead. "I knew you'd ask that! Don't worry… She passed out and… we were worried for a while there but… Hatori brought her back… seemingly with your help. We didn't know WHAT was happening until she told us about what happened with you…" Kisa replied, grinning at me. I sighed and relaxed more on the ground. So… when she disappeared… that was her waking up? Relief flooded through me and I couldn't help but laugh!

Kisa smiled at me and suddenly wiped my cheek off? Oh… heh… It had felt a little wet… "Silly. You're such a caring brother, though! Hinata seemed really proud of you…" Kisa murmured, resting her head against my chest. Hinata was… happy with me? Even though I let her die…?

The sad thoughts didn't have time to build up, however. Kisa licked my jaw instead and I snapped back to reality. Chuckling, I squeezed her tighter. "What's with the wings, by the way?" I finally asked.

Kisa shrugged against me. "I have no idea. When I was trying to break through this weird barrier that was everywhere, I noticed it was really cold. That's when I discovered the flame thing and it just kind of… happened. Then I saw I was falling from the sky and these seemed to pop out automatically…" she explained, seemingly confused herself. It reminded me of how I first did the ice thing, though.

"So your elemental affinity is flames, it would seem," I pondered out loud, looking at the wings.

Kisa giggled and nodded… then looked around. "And yours would probably be ice. This is weird… We don't mix very well, it seems…" she added. I nuzzled her neck, causing her to sigh and squirm against me.

"Could have fooled me…" I muttered against her shoulder.

"Mmm… Hiro! We have to wake up now… Your mother is worried sick about you and she shouldn't be kept waiting, anyway! We can do this later…" Kisa reminded. Aww.. I kissed her cheek finally and nodded. One more try, anyway…

I closed my eyes and forced myself into consciousness…

* * *

**Slow Recuperation**

* * *

Humming to myself, I carefully loaded the tray with food. We had sandwiches and soup for lunch, of course. Sis walked up and set two glasses of milk on the tray before smiling at me and nodding. She was so nice! 

Everyone had been absolutely ecstatic when Hiro woke up! His mother almost killed him again with her hug! I was so happy that it worked that I was crying, I'll admit… I think that even Yuki and Kyo were happy, even though they have trouble showing it. Kyo was partially blaming himself, though… I'm not quite sure why, but that's just what I noticed.

Hiro of course recounted the entire tale of what happened from beginning to end of the weird event. Everyone seemed to have trouble swallowing it save for myself, Haru, who was there, and Hinata, who was not only there but also believes everything her brother tells her… They were mostly forced to accept it, however, due to all the strange evidence that surrounded the event.

At first I was concerned. My injuries were fairly inconsequential… but Hiro wasn't supposed to do anything extensive for three weeks! That had concerned me as I wasn't sure if I could do everything and still take adequate care of him! Sis was so nice, though, and offered to help me take care of him at Shigure's house!

Grinning, I nodded to her and walked back towards the stairs with the tray, carefully balancing everything. This was the second week of recovery and Hiro was already doing a lot better. Hatori had checked him over yesterday and said that he was healing at a phenomenal rate; much faster than had been originally expected! I was delighted, of course, but Hatori seemed a little concerned as to why…

Who cared why?! Hiro was getting better at a faster rate! Just leave it at that, people… Everyone seemed to agree that having him stay here was for the best, however. Hiro himself was a little miffed over the situation and I remembered that he liked to be independent, but I kept reminding him that he had saved Tohru so to only think of it as them paying him back for that…

Carefully balancing the tray, I made it to the top of the stairs and headed to the end of the hall. They had given us the spare guest bedroom for the duration of Hiro's recovery! Tohru had cleaned everything the day Hiro woke up and made sure the room was in livable condition again… Haru had also talked to Hiro and helped me get a few personal items from the apartment to make it seem more homely, even. Everyone was so helpful.

Tohru really was thankful to him, though. She was trying even extra hard to make him get better! Kyo was also treating Hiro with a lot more respect suddenly and Yuki was even nicer! I was a little jealous, really! Usually it's only me that gives Hiro attention… but this is an improvement, I guess.

Hiro smiled softly up at me when I entered. I returned a grin and set the tray down in his lap before sitting next to him. Technically it was both of our lunches… "There we go… Lunch is served!" I exclaimed happily. Hiro grinned this time… but that grin was a little… impish looking!

I just started to get a questioning look when he asked, "The food on the tray… or you?" My eyes widened as he pulled me closer and into a very nice kiss! Okay… this worked too!

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I just let him pull me into him… Who was I to resist this?! Moaning slightly when I felt him tease my tongue using his, I followed back into his mouth as he playfully retreated! I couldn't seem to get enough of him after I almost lost him! Hiro… almost sensed this and seemed to pay a LOT more attention to me… not that I'm complaining!

Soon, I started to feel heat build in my stomach and my kiss got more frantic… Hiro was getting really good at driving me absolutely wild with his kisses! Wow! I had to be careful that I didn't accidentally kick the tray off his lap when my body urged me to straddle him… Although I might injure him by doing that… so that was another reason to resist! It was hard, though!

"Oh yes… kiss her harder…" I suddenly heard whispered from my left… Huh? Hiro stopped kissing and backed off slightly with a questioning expression. I blinked and looked over to my left…

Shigure's right eye widened when he saw me look over. The video camera blocked his left… I blinked once more before glaring instead. "Uh… hey, Kisa! Tohru wants to know how the food is…" Shigure asked finally, starting to back up. His back bumped into the open door instead however as I got off the bed…

Six seconds later, his back smashed into the hallway wall instead… He winced slightly and slid down to a sitting position as I picked up the video camera I had disarmed him of. "Hey… don't be hasty, Kisa…" he rapidly squawked when he saw me pick it up. I ejected the tape and looked blankly at it. Shaking my head, I snapped the tape cartridge in half with one hand.

Shigure's eyes bugged out and I thought he'd almost start crying… He didn't get a chance, however, as I smiled sweetly at him before embedding the camera into his gut from ten feet away! I then slammed the door and threw every lock on it… Stupid mutt…

Hiro chuckled as I sat back down on the bed in a huff. "Now… where were we?" I asked hopefully, leaning back in…

Hiro smiled and put a finger to my lips, however. Aww… "Eating actual lunch… I'm a little hungry after all, it seems…" he replied teasingly. I sighed and play-pouted. Stupid Shigure. Now Hiro didn't want to cuddle anymore!

I didn't have time to complain, though, as Hiro had already slid the tray up and started munching again. Ug… Deciding I might be a little hungry myself, I grabbed a sandwich as well and cuddled into Hiro's side while munching it.

Finishing my sandwich, I took a sip of milk before looking back at Hiro. He was only three-fourths of the way through his and just staring blankly at it. I frowned and sighed. He'd been like this since the accident… He was a lot more reserved and quieter than before. Plus he'd just stop whatever he was doing and stare off into space every once in a while! It frustrated me because I wanted to see him back to his normal self…

I tried talking to Hatori about it but he just said that the event was probably quite traumatizing to Hiro and it might take a while for him to get back to normal entirely. I… could understand that. When Hiro told me about what that bitch had done…! Seeing that happen to his sister and then having to fight her by himself… it couldn't have been pleasant. Plus the whole world he had described would have been something I could only imagine in a nightmare!

"Isn't the sandwich good, Hiro?" I asked softly. He started slightly but rapidly smiled at me again.

He shook his head after a few more seconds. "It's good… Sorry. I was just… zoning out," he informed listlessly. I sighed and nodded. He went back to zoning again it would seem and I frowned further. But then he frowned as well…

"Um… if I show you something, can you promise not to tell anyone else what you saw?" he asked suddenly. My eyes widened but I nodded. I wouldn't betray Hiro's secrets! Never again!

Hiro smiled gently at me before looking back at the tray. Huh? I looked at the tray too but didn't see anything out of place… He then pointed his index finger to the spoon for his soup bowl. For almost ten seconds, he just sat there, unmoving. What was he trying to show me, exactly? He was pointing at a spoon… I pondered if he was really okay after all…

Then the spoon shook a little… My eyes bugged out and I felt my breathing catch! What the…?! Hiro frowned further and the spoon started to tremble further before sliding towards his index finger! Holy crap! His eyes narrowed then and I saw beads of sweat appear on his forehead! The spoon actually lifted off the table then and floated about three inches up before he finally exhaled and it fell again…

My mouth had opened during the display and was still open… Looking back over at him, I gave him an expression of utter shock… "The things we can do in our dreams… Ever since that day, I've been able to partially do some of them here…" he explained quietly. My eyes softened slightly and I nodded. Was that why… he seemed not himself?

"Ever since that day… something's been… broken or… released inside of me. I don't know why I can but… I've been getting better with practice," he added after I didn't say anything. I sighed and stood up then, walking over to the window.

Hiro's eyes followed me the entire distance before I stopped at the window. I then turned and smiled towards him. "Well it's really cool, I think. There doesn't seem anything wrong with that so you probably have nothing to worry about…" I finally said, nodding reassuringly to him. He smiled again and exhaled, as if he was expecting me to panic. No! I must remain supportive of him!

"What else can you do, anyway?" I asked, grinning. Hiro seemed slightly taken aback by me actually asking, but rapidly returned my grin, obviously feeling better about it now. Good…

He chuckled before replying, "Obviously I can do minor telekinesis. That's what I've practiced the most, anyway. It's hard, though, and takes a lot of concentration for even the smallest objects, though…" I nodded, remembering that he had started sweating to actually lift the spoon…

He frowned again, but more in a pondering way this time… "It's hard to explain. It's different from our dreams because I don't have the option to adjust anything I want… I can move things… but I have to imagine… well… almost this tendril of force extending off me and to the object I want to move. If I can touch it with the force tendril, I can move it with enough concentration. The heavier the object, the harder it is…" he tried to explain. It seemed tricky… but I understood how he did it, anyway. Could I do something like that?

I nodded finally. "Yeah… it seemed hard to move the spoon. Maybe it will get better with practice?" I offered. Hiro smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Considering four days ago I had trouble making the spoon so much as twitch… so…" he informed. My eyes widened. Oh… So he was getting better reasonably quickly! "I also experimented with small things… like changing the properties of objects. So far, I can really only do colors. It takes a lot more concentration, though…" he added, seeing as I wasn't saying anything. Oh…

I smiled and nodded. "Well that's useful too, anyway. Plus, you might be able to effect more than just color once you get better…" I speculated. Hiro smiled and returned my nod.

"Thanks for being so understanding about this…" he muttered after a few seconds.

I laughed. "Oh, like I wouldn't support something about you. I love you, Hiro!" I playfully pointed out. Hiro grinned and nodded towards me.

Opening the curtain slightly, I dully noted that it was still raining. It had been all week. Hinata complained to me about it yesterday. She had been in almost every day, sometimes more than once, to see Hiro. After whatever happened in there… she's been even fonder of Hiro. I don't know all of the details still as Hiro would get really quiet whenever the subject is brought up… so I don't push it. That's probably the source of the trauma, after all… Not that Satsuki minded bringing her. That was Hiro's Mother's name, which I sometimes neglected to remember. I just called her Aunty usually… Although, technically she's going to be my Mother soon too, so I suppose I could just call her that instead…

Hiro took another sip of milk while he watched me look out the window. I smiled back with him and nodded towards the soup. He patted the bed beside him and I grinned before walking back over and cuddling into him again. Hiro liked his attention… but I loved giving it to him!

He ate the soup a lot faster but still zoned a few times so I finished before him again. "Hey… Hiro? Do you think it's possible to teach me how to do these tricks too?" I asked curiously, mainly to snap him out of his most recent distraction.

He started, as expected, and smiled over at me. "You might be able too… We'll just have to add it to your normal training regime after I get better," he replied. I grinned. His eyes suddenly lit up? "Oh yeah! Kazuma asked me to actually train a couple of students… I told him that I'd talk to you about it first and see…" Hiro suddenly informed. I blinked and took a couple seconds to process the information. Wait… students?

"Oh? Well… um… I don't see a problem with it as long as we can still train together… It won't take up too much time, will it?" I asked in return. I felt a little greedy asking but I wanted to spend more time with Hiro! Especially after everything that happened…

Hiro suddenly looked slightly sad and frowned! No… "Oh, I'm sorry… I'll just tell Kazuma that I have other obligations, okay?" he suddenly resigned. My eyes widened.

"No, Hiro! I didn't mean to sound greedy… You can train us all at the same time, if it's easier…" I muttered… This wasn't going very well.

Hiro shook his head. "No, it's alright. I'll schedule separate training sessions for everyone. You are my apprentice after all and are getting special training, so it wouldn't really be fair to you otherwise," he explained. Oh no…

"But that would take up so much of your time, Hiro!" I exclaimed, scared where the conversation was going to end at…

Hiro leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead… "You're worth that much of my time, Silly… Besides, this is just to take some pressure off the other instructors. It's not like training them will be full time…" he finalized. There wasn't anything I could dispute anymore… I sighed as he went back to eating. Out-maneuvering Hiro at wordplay was never a winning proposition, though…

I silently laughed to myself sadly. At least he told me about it. Look at the situation. Who was I to pretend there were no secrets between us when I held the biggest of all?! Why couldn't I just tell Hiro? Was I that afraid of him being upset with me?! He deserved to be upset with me! I sighed… realizing too late that it was out loud…

Hiro simply glanced over at me and smiled softly. His eyes were… sad though. Did he realize that I was keeping a secret?! Don't be stupid, Kisa. Of course he realizes. You got so worked up over something that you had to go to the movies with your Sister, remember? That's only a super alarm going off for Hiro! But do you care if he's worried?!

I… couldn't stop myself. Giving half a sharp intake of breath, I started to cry… It's like I didn't care if I upset him or made him worry! I hated myself for the way I treated him! Didn't I say that I was going to change, after all?! Where the hell was that!?

Tissue suddenly whipped down my cheek and dried the tears once more. Eyes softening further, I looked over at Hiro, who was still smiling softly at me… Hiro.

"Hiro… I… um…" started before hesitating. Could I really do this?

"…have a secret that's bothering you?" he finished my statement. My eyes widened and got watery again… He just smiled warmly though and brushed my cheek. His hand continued to complete a lazy arc to my ear, brushing my hair back as well… He then leaned in and nuzzled my neck before whispering into my ear, "It's okay to keep it a secret if you want to, Kisa. I love you so very much and I respect your desires. I know that if it's this important, that you'll tell me when you're ready to." His voice was low and soft… Not vastly deep… but deep enough while remaining gentle. I loved Hiro's voice… I found myself blushing anyway.

Sadly, he didn't continue and instead went back to sipping his soup after he kissed my cheek. His voice had always managed to thaw my blood and melt my heart… I smiled as I leaned into him while he was sipping. "Thank you, Hiro…" I whispered before returning the peck on the cheek.

He just smiled at me and nodded as he set the bowl back down. I nodded once more and picked up the tray. I would tell him once he got better… He needed to focus on recovering, after all.

* * *

**Dangerous Experiments**

* * *

Sighing, I set the plate down in the sink. This was going into my fourth week of recovering. School had started already for everyone else, of course, and restless was an understatement as to my current mindset. It didn't help that Tohru wouldn't let me do anything "drastic" at all. I couldn't even help by washing the dishes… 

Hatori had seen me late last week and decided that I should stay out another week or so just to play it safe. He seemingly didn't think it was a good idea for me to go back when I still got dizzy sometimes from standing up too quickly. I thought I could handle it, but I couldn't really argue against the doctor's orders. Especially when I had three females who were watching over me on almost a daily basis… Hinata had rapidly joined the ranks of Tohru and Kisa.

Walking back upstairs, I lay down on my bed again. Kisa was at school right now… I'd managed to convince her to go back, even with me cooped up here. I'd had Yuki's help in convincing her, though, and Tohru said she'd keep an extra eye on me while Kisa was away. That was enough to finally get her to agree, anyway.

Tohru was out shopping with Kyo, however, and Yuki was tending his garden outside, so other than the mutt, I was alone for now. Smiling slightly to myself for at least the privacy, I raised my hand to the bookcase that was in the room before it even became mine. Three books slid off the shelf and started rotating slowly in the air as they drifted towards me…

Having my laptop here with wireless internet was useful, anyway. I'd done a little bit of research about interesting things. This universe was a fine balance of forces. Matter cannot be destroyed… but only changes form. Logically following that statement, there would be no way that I could move these books like this without expending some kind of force on them.

Seeing as there wasn't any other sources that I could think of, I assumed the energy fueling this force came from my body. The Japanese name for such a bodily energy would be "Ki". The word was originally Romanized from the Chinese "Qi" it seems, but that doesn't really matter. Other cultures had similar names for the same energy type. Ki would suit my needs just as well. At least I had a name for it now. The source of energy behind the manipulation could really only be called that.

After I had gotten better at manipulating objects like this, I also discovered that I had a limit before I had to rest again. Seeing as the body probably had a limited amount of this Ki on store, having to rest once that was used up made sense as well. Training my mind was a refreshing alternative, however, seeing as nobody would let me train my body… Eventually, I was able to build up my reserved, it seemed. At least I could use it for longer and longer.

If this Ki was a natural part of my body, I desired to master it like the rest of me. So I decided to do an… experiment. Remembering the ice from before, I could only assume that the source was my energy. The "hate" the creature tapped just fueled its release, then. Frowning, I stared at the palm of my hand intently. The books fell to the floor but I hardly cared…

Energy… Come on! I… felt it. Deep in my core… I could feel the stirring of it. Closing my eyes, I focused on picturing the energy like I do to manipulate anything else. My mind snapped to the image naturally, which was a good sign. It wasn't like a current, but instead seemed to take the form of a wave as it ran through me. Letting my mind do its thing, I simply told it to focus the energy into the palm of my hand…

The room temperature instantly lowered! A blue pulse hit my hand then and a tiny shard of ice started to slowly form and extend upwards… So… my Ki automatically took the form of ice, huh? It took all of my concentration to keep it manifested, though. Was it really ice? It didn't… feel cold. I sighed. So many questions… Suddenly I was able to do this. Maybe it was a byproduct of almost dying again? Maybe I had knocked my energy loose suddenly or something…

I chuckled dryly. Might as well have some benefit for me after almost dying so many times. Why did I have to suffer so much just to be happy, anyway? All I really wanted was to happily live with Kisa! Was that really too much to ask? When would fate stop making me its jester and finally just leave me alone? Although… with the secret that Kisa seemed so disturbed over, I had a feeling there was another punch line yet in the future. She wouldn't have to hide it if it wasn't going to hurt, after all… Damn it! Anger flooded into my system… This wasn't fair! Why always us?!

Noticing that I could suddenly see my breath, I questioningly looked down at my hand again. My eyes widened as I noticed the entire arm up to the elbow was frozen solid! "Shit!" I exclaimed, rapidly waving the hand around trying to get rid of the ice before someone noticed! What happened?! My bodily energy must really be influenced by emotions! I'd have to watch myself in the future, I guess.

"What's wrong, Hiro?" I heard a concerned Yuki ask from… THE HALLWAY?! My eyes bugged out then. Oh no… Wait… crap! No! Remembering a split second too late that my emotions were dangerous, I winced as a line of ice shot out from my palm and launched across the room! It smashed into the book case and tipped it over, crashing all the books to the floor and knocking everything stacked next to it, flying! Damn it!

The loud crash and my yelp of surprise of course made Yuki rush… Panicking again, I snapped the ice branch off at my palm and tried to hide my hand, rapidly trying to come up with something that sounded even remotely likely! My panic, of course, caused two more branches to launch off my arm…

One, from the back of my hand this time, smashed into the ceiling instead. The other fired from my now frozen over elbow and collided with the floor, effectively making a crooked pillar that my arm was wedged in! Oops…

Yuki burst into the room and instantly froze in his tracks. Me, being utterly unprepared and wide-eyed at the moment, must have been a boring sight in light of the pillars of ice coming from my frozen arm… Now, webs of ice could be seen extending through the air from my hand! Ah! How do I turn it off?!

Not bothering to question me, Yuki must have decided that getting me free first was the best choice. He lashed out rapidly with his foot and split the lower column in two! This allowed me to move my arm to the side and rip it off the upper one! Rapidly ordering my energy to withdraw, I smashed my entire arm into the side of the bed a few times! Most of the ice cracked and fell off after a few bashes… That was extremely hard ice!

More ice was still sprouting from my palm, unfortunately. Yuki looked utterly bewildered as to what to do about it. Closing my eyes again, I saw the flow inside myself and pulled it back with all my focus! The ice finally stopped coming from my palm and I cracked what was left off before dusting my palms.

Yuki raised an eyebrow to me and I looked away. "Okay… so can you explain to me what exactly happened, there?" he finally requested in a slightly irritated tone. What?!

"Just a test, that's all…" I replied defiantly.

Yuki shook his head. "A test to get your arm frozen doesn't seem very logical to me…" he pointed out, still looking irritated at me.

"Well it was a failed experiment, that's all. Leave me alone about it!" I requested, growing irritated. It wasn't his business in the first place…

Yuki narrowed his eyes. "No, I won't. This needs further looking into. Hatori should know about this as well. There's obviously something wrong with you if you…" he started to lecture.

"Shut up! It was just a slip! I can control it easily next time!" I shouted before standing up and walking out of the room. Suppressing the lightheaded sensation, I carefully made it down the stairs…

Yuki had seemingly followed me. "Hiro! You can't ignore this! Admit that something is definitely… different with you! You shouldn't rush into it without thinking…" he tried to continue.

I growled. "This energy is called Ki. It's bodily energy that I can use to manipulate things externally. Mine takes the form of ice when I don't channel it! Is that enough research for you? I just need practice!" I exclaimed, looking back at him…

"It's obviously not enough research if you went out of control like that! Maybe you should try researching that?" Yuki sarcastically recommended.

My eyes narrowed at him again. "It's called anger! Anger at crap like this always happening to Kisa and me!" I shouted at him then. His eyes widened in surprise… "Emotions are the catalyst, after all! And now I have a feeling that Kisa is about to hit me with another big one, so…" I muttered, feeling sad suddenly.

Yuki frowned and I looked down at my feet… This was so stupid… The floor frosted over around my feet suddenly. Crap… Stupid body! Control yourself! Yuki's frown turned into a skeptically raised eyebrow instead… I extended my middle finger to him before turning and walking out the door…

This was pathetic… In some ways he was right, but I refused to give up so easily. Hatori would just lock my entire life down if he found out about such a strong abnormality! Didn't Yuki realize that? If he didn't, he was far stupider than I had first thought…

Growling to myself, I stormed off down the driveway. Screw it. I didn't care anymore… I was well enough to manage myself and do what I wanted!

It only took me fifteen minutes to walk back to my apartment. Being stressed out, I decided that a shower would be in my best interest anyway. Getting inside, I closed the door and locked it behind me. Nobody had tried to follow me, anyway. Yuki probably gave up by now…

I stripped and wandered into the bathroom. Turning on the water, I adjusted it. My eyes widened as I rapidly pulled my hand away from the water stream! Wow that was hot… Did they add more water heaters to the building or something? It was on my usual temperature, too…

After almost four minutes, I had the hot water totally turned off and it finally felt comfortable… Wow. That would have to be reported! Maybe my pipes were screwed up or something… Sighing, I stepped in and let the water run down my back. It felt heavenly to be back in my apartment after being cooped up in one room for four weeks!

Almost a half an hour in, I was thankful our apartment didn't run out of hot water! Having been done with cleaning a while ago, I was just relaxing under the water. I looked along my arm then. Tracing along my arm, I ran my finger all the way down to my stomach, feeling every contour of the muscles. I guess martial arts really HAD built up my muscles a little bit! Normally I didn't really examine myself very closely, but Kisa had taken an extreme interest in them as of late so I decided I may as well look them over… They were just muscles, though…

Frowning, I looked back at my hand again. Now this ability would be impressive if I could exert some form of control over it! I sighed. Focusing, I generated a little bit of ice and maintained my emotions… It came a lot faster this time! Maybe it was just getting more natural for me? In theory, all I had to do was maintain my emotional calm and focus on the ice. That should allow me to perfectly control it!

An hour later, I sighed as I ducked under an ice beam. They were crisscrossing everywhere now and filling the entire apartment. I was also still naked, having my clothes frozen to the floor when I tried to pick them up. Crap… Okay, note to self, generating and manipulating your Ki has the adverse effect of making you more susceptible to emotions! Emotions, in turn, throw your Ki out of control… This was a very vicious cycle that I had to find a way to get past!

Digging through our bookcase, I finally found the book I was looking for! Tai Chi Chuan! A martial art form that believed in proper application of Ying and Yang! I used it for almost all of my redirection and unbalancing techniques, but I forgot that it also teaches proper meditation and how to balance your Qi, or in my case, Ki! Yes!

Pulling the book out, I flipped it open… only for ice to start extending across it from my hands! Crap! I tried floating the book next, but discovered that this caused the ice columns to fanatically attack the book in midair! Finally, I just dropped it onto the bed and read it from there…

After almost twenty minutes of reading, it was getting hard to keep repositioning myself around the ice! But I had learned that the basics of inner harmony would result in a controlled and moderated Qi, or Ki! Okay… so inner harmony… Closing my eyes then, I focused on my inner energy. Oh…

Feeling deep inside myself, I found that energy again. It was churning and chaotically spinning everywhere! Remaining calm, I focused more on the energy and tried to calm it as well. After almost ten minutes of the breathing and meditation techniques, I stopped hearing collision noises! Opening my eyes slowly, I saw the ice had finally stopped being generated. Focusing back inside myself, I saw that the pool of energy had finally calmed down and was just sitting there, now stagnant.

Able to pick the book up finally, I read more in peace. It described a way to channel and manipulate your Ki, to promote a healthier lifestyle and improved flexibility… Well it had other applications for me, so I read further. Manipulating the movement of Ki inside me was important and I had to remain calm and composed… Directing the Ki towards body parts was all fine and good if I wanted chaos, but for control, I must project it where I want it. The book detailed projecting it into your hands and feet during strikes for increased power of course, but I could probably pull off a few more neat tricks…

Extending my hand out again, I smiled as the ice formed instantly. Staying under control, I instead projected the Ki to a location that was outside of my body. The ball of ice formed where I specified and drifted about in the air. Smiling, I practiced more shapes…

* * *

**Control Issues**

* * *

The phone rang and I sighed. The blades of ice floating in the air shrank down to tiny orbs and landed in my hand. They were rapidly re-absorbed into my skin and I looked over at the phone. On the second ring, the receiver floated off the base and over to me. 

"Hello?" I spoke casually into the receiver.

"Hiro?! Are you okay!? Yuki told me about what happened…" a frantic Kisa rapidly blurted out.

I chuckled. "Calm down, Kisa. I'm perfectly fine… We just had an… argument and I decided to hang out at the apartment for a while," I explained.

"Hiro… What about the ice thing? What happened with that?" Kisa asked then, calming down but sounding sad now…

I sighed. Yuki was so stupid sometimes. Telling everyone would only make them worry… "It's okay now, Kisa. It was an experiment that just got a little out of control. I'm fine and already learning to control it a lot better…"

"You experimented with it more already?!" Kisa asked, starting to worry again. I rolled my eyes…

"It's under control, Kisa. It's okay now."

"That's not the point, Hiro! Something could have happened to you when you were all alone, nonetheless!" she exclaimed, a mixture between worry and anger evident.

I growled. "Don't you have any faith in my abilities to handle it at all?!" I snarled into the receiver. There was silence for a while and I picked up crying on the other end then…

"Hiro… I… I do trust you but… I worry and…" she started stuttering. I sighed.

Shaking my head, I finally just gave up. "Fine… Would it make you feel better if I came back there?" I asked, softer this time.

"Y…Yes, of course…" Kisa sniffed, seemingly calming down again.

I nodded to myself. "Very well. I'll see you in a few minutes…" I informed before hanging up the phone. Ug…

Walking back over to Shigure's took another fifteen minutes. I was somewhat grumpy by the time I got there, anyway, as it had started raining again halfway along. Sighing, I entered the main entrance and took my soaked shoes and socks off before stepping into the actual hall.

My eyebrow extended when I turned the corner and saw both Yuki and Kyo leaning to either side of the doorway. What, were they guarding something?

"You should think of others before yourself. Yelling at Kisa was inexcusable," Yuki muttered as I approached. I stopped ten feet from the door and just stared blankly at him.

"You should consider the consequences of actions before jumping to conclusions," I shot back. Yuki raised an eyebrow.

Kyo snorted suddenly. "Always talking back, aren't you, brat? Well that only proves that you're still a brat, doesn't it?" he pointed out snidely.

I laughed then. "I'm just warning Yuki that he might want to consider the side effects of telling people about things, that's all. If that's what you consider talking back, you may want to consider re-evaluating your own conduct instead…"

Kyo glared at me and I chuckled again. "Telling people is actually the responsible thing to do, Hiro. What you did was run away…" Yuki suddenly declared. What kind of joke was this?!

"Oh please. You consider it responsible for your conscience, maybe. Did you consider my wishes, though? What do you think will happen when Hatori hears about this? He's not going to let me go to school all year!" I exclaimed.

Kyo stomped his foot down. "That doesn't excuse the fact that you ran away from the problem and then yelled at Kisa for it!" he shouted.

"Oh, and you're such the one to talk about aggression issues and running away from potentially confining situations, aren't you?" I asked back, tilting my head towards him. His glare turned into one of rage instead…

Yuki stepped up, however. "Enough of this, Hiro. You know you should apologize to Kisa!" he declared.

"Why? Because she declared that she doesn't think I can control myself? Or apologize to her maybe for keeping this huge secret from me for weeks on end?" I asked, turning to face him instead.

Yuki shook his head. "She's only doing this because she's worried about you. She doesn't want you to get hurt…"

"Well she's hurt me already by not trusting me, so what does it really matter now?" I asked softly, starting to shake… They… didn't understand anything!

Yuki sighed. "You have to earn trust, Hiro! You showed a lack of control so of course she's going to doubt that!" he pointed out. Earn her trust?!

"Earn… her trust?! Dying wasn't enough already?! What the hell am I supposed to do now, then?! How much more blood does she want from me?" I screamed! The temperature took a nosedive suddenly and a supernatural wind seemed to hit Yuki and Kyo! The wood of the door behind them frosted over, cracking in spots and ripping some of the paper in others…

Kyo started shaking then. "You conceited little bastard! Fine! You saved Tohru! You saved Kisa! You also tried to jump off a building and almost took Kisa with you! She would have died with you! Yet you're treating her like this now! Bow before the all-powerful Hiro and never dare doubt him!" he screamed in mockery then. Yuki frowned and looked over at him.

"How… dare you bring that up… You think that I don't… hate myself on a daily basis for what I did? You think you know every little detail about what pain is…" I growled at him, the floor actively freezing around my feet… Kyo narrowed his eyes further and got red in the face but I kept advancing. "You think your life is so miserable… Do you hate yourself? Do you never have enough skill and worth to get noticed by the one you love the most? Do you rip your soul apart every day for not being there… and letting your loved one down when they needed you the most?!" I continued screaming…

Large shards of ice formed in the air all around me then. They didn't understand at all! They didn't know what it was like to hate yourself so much that you wanted to do anything… get any power… anything at all to redeem yourself in the eyes of your loved one! Then they expected a person to not be upset when they aren't recognized?! When your loved one doesn't trust you for getting the very power you sought to prove yourself in the first place!

"Hiro! Stop this! Calm down!" Yuki shouted over the torrent of wind that almost had the door ripped off its track already!

"Shut up! You understand nothing! All I want is… to be forgiven…" I ended the yell in a mutter instead as tears suddenly flowed down my cheeks. This only seemed to incite the ice more as it exploded out from me in every direction. I didn't care anymore. Kisa had already shown me that this power scared her… so it wouldn't help me earn her forgiveness anyway.

Kyo growled against the wind. "Damn it! Knock him out!" he shouted at Yuki before lunging off to my left. Yuki stared at him in disbelief as he tried to flank me.

"Stop!" Yuki screamed just as Kyo lunged at me. Everything was so slow again… Kyo's charges were usually his best and fastest aspect. My vision allowed me to follow every move, though. Was this the power that Kisa was afraid of? I simply snorted as he came in and whipped a blade of ice towards his chest…

My consciousness snapped back into play half a second before the blade hit! What was I doing?! I barely managed to flip the blade in time! The flat side smacked into Kyo's chest instead of the blade…

Kyo went from charging, to a dead stop, to flying backwards in half a second! Unfortunately, the wall of the hallway was all of five feet behind him. He smashed violently into the wall and I saw his eyes widen in pain as he skipped off it! What… was going on?!

"Kyo!" Yuki shouted, suddenly charging between myself and him before lunging! No! Stay away!

I couldn't stop the ice from moving as he lunged though. He dodged the first cut aimed for his neck and ducked low… His lashing hand was barely deflected by a chunk of ice! That was aimed for my stomach… That would have done more than knock me out!

The blades of ice seemed enraged then and blindingly lashed out at him. He dodged the first and parried the second as I backed up further… The third nicked him across the forearm however. He swore slightly and spun away from the force of the blow. Something… was wrong! What was so… familiar about…? My eyes widened as I felt the urge to rip them both apart! Oh no…

Screaming, I clutched both sides of my head and fell to my knees! Stop this! He was only trying to protect Kyo! I shouldn't be… Yuki growled and approached again! No… I can't stop the blades! Don't get near me! Then I saw motion behind him…

Tohru stepped around the corner and looked right at me! "What's going on… here…" she started before widening her eyes. Yuki did the same and whipped around to look at her, obviously going to tell her to run! No… don't…

My mind ached as I tried to fight it back but a burst escaped anyway! Tohru screamed as an explosion of ice hit next to her and carved a massive gash in the frame of the door! All of my will went into stopping the blade inches from her head! No… this wasn't how it was supposed to…

The… thing in my mind was enraged at everyone now! Multiple more blades solidified around her then. Yuki froze in place and turned back around slowly… Kyo was just opening his eyes again when he saw Tohru! His eyes widened fully and he looked back over at me trembling there… "Hiro… don't… please…?" he asked softly then. Yuki nodded as well…

I… just trembled there. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! What was this… thing that… Tohru just whimpered and backed up against the door rim as the blades floated gently next to several vital areas… but I couldn't make them stop! It was everything I could do to halt their attack!

"Hiro?! What's going on…?" I suddenly heard from behind me, causing me to start. Wait… that sounded like… The start had gotten the blades moving again, however, and three had already whipped in that direction! No! Oh… please no!

Turning as I screamed "No!" at the top of my lungs, I saw a crying Kisa just coming down the stairs! No! Sadly, I only managed to stop the two smallest ones… Her eyes were now wide as the largest blade of ice still flew at her! My soul cried in agony as it flew directly at her head!

* * *

**Chapter 23 - End!**

* * *

Author's Notes:

Hullo again! This was definitely a happier chapter than the last… although it still ended on a cliffhanger… And the supernatural part of the story is definitely starting to show now, although I base it off real world mythology and such.

The next chapter is actually already written… but due to slight technical difficulties and my editor being busy, it got delayed slightly. I'll try not to take too long with it, but things are getting a little busy with the holidays rapidly approaching.

I hoped everyone enjoyed this new double installment of the story, however. Alas, it is now one in the morning and after a day of riding in a car, I'm extremely sleepy… so I must go to bed. I look forward to hearing what you guys think about these chapters, however! If you have any comment at all, feel free to leave a review. I enjoy each and every one of them, even criticism as long as it's constructive.

Thank you again for being the most patient audience I've ever had, however. I bid you all good night then and wish that you remain safe until we next talk!

-A.T.

**Individual Review Responses:**

**Arc Knight**: Heh… well I try anyway. It's getting easier to write them two at a time now that I have lots more gumption. I've also caught something of a writing bug and am enjoying it again, hence the fast updates. And I thank you for all of the reviews. My numbers dropped slightly after I switched the rating, but there's not a lot of choice now, especially after these chapters. I'd hate to say it… but your predictions of impending doom were quite accurate indeed! Heh… And as you can see from these two chapters, Hiro has… recovered… somewhat… And yes, the original drafts were for Yuki x Tohru so I had a lot of changing to do. Even after reading the ending of the manga, I was still hoping for a vote the other way so I wouldn't have to do massive amounts of changes, but ah well. I'll vent my frustrations by beating up on Kyo a little bit… -smirks- Thank you for reviewing, however, and I hope you enjoyed these two, slightly darker, chapters as well! 

**Ronandhermy**: Aww… Poetic reviews would have been so sweet, too. And… um.. I'm sorry for leaving for so long. -sniffles- And… yikes! You're scary… And… um… yeah… Hinata is really cute… heh… And those swords weren't cheap, so you're probably looking at Kyo getting at least a high definition plasma flatscreen entertainment center. Heh… I'm glad that you enjoyed these chapters though and I thank you for reviewing. As you can see… they're getting a lot darker. But bright spots should arrive soon enough… And I leave it up to you to decide if Hiro actually died or not… -winks-

**Beege**: Heh… yeah, you really timed this well. I haven't updated like this in over a year's time! And I'm always interested in hearing predictions. I don't mind like some people do and I feel no pressure to re-write anything if people guess right. It's fun, really. And yes, you can see some of the supernatural and darkness right now, right? Ice is fun… Heh… Well thank you again for reviewing and I hope you liked these two dark chapters as well!

**Lightningstrxu**: That's very optimistic of you! -chuckles- And as you can see, even if he did die, he's mysteriously back now so… It would be a rather short and anticlimactic ending if I just let it drop there, I think… But thank you for your continued reviews and I hoped you liked these two as well! -smiles-

**Renia The Weirdo**: -laughs- It's okay… I was just teasing you! Silly… And… don't ever do that… I'd be terribly saddened… But I'm glad you liked the chapters! Here's two more and I hope you enjoy them too! And… I'll try to squeeze in a ninja scene just for you, okay? -sticks out tongue- I really wish I could use emotes in these, as a side thought…

**TatianaSaphira**: Heh… it's okay. I wasn't saying there was anything bad about that. I'm just one that gets embarrassed really easily, that's all. My friends think it's cute when I turn pink and that only encourages them to say more bad things! Ug… I guess I was asking for it, though. And… a lovely cliffhanger this time too, ne? I keep trying, anyway. Maybe I should end one of these chapters normally and freak all of you out! Heh… And that sounds fun! I'm close to Canada myself… except it is across a nice body of water at the moment… Ah well. I hope you liked these two chapters as well! Thank you for reviewing again!

**Swordmaster**: Heh… You're very welcome… and not welcome? And hey, I am trying to update faster. And yes, it was a total set up, as you can now see… -grins- I have my muse back again now anyway so I'll try to speed up productions. But thank you for reviewing and I hoped you liked these two evil, evil chapters too!

**Anonymous**: Well no comment is better than a negative one, I suppose. Although I always welcome constructive criticism. Hearing people like my story is all good too, as that makes it worth it to keep writing and entertaining people! Heh… And I think you should have a better idea of what I meant by supernatural, now. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed these as well! Merry Christmas to you as well.

**SnowLion no Miko**: Well… now I am. Heh… Uh… sorry? I do enjoy being evil sometimes, however. And I'm fairly certain that both of these chapters ended in a fairly evil spot as well. Thank you for the compliments, though! I try to be very descriptive in everything. After a little bit of writing, I start feeling what the characters are feeling and then simply describe what I feel myself. It was hard at first but I hope I'm making improvements. And Hiro seems okay, doesn't he? A little… unstable mentally… but hey, he just almost died for the… how many times was this? I lose count… Although stopping the story there would have been extremely bad, so I definitely wasn't going to do that. I'm glad you liked these two chapters, though! I love to entertain and hearing that I am always helps! -smiles- I hope you enjoy these two chapters as well and I thank you for reviewing!


	24. Painful Secrets

* * *

**Chapter 24 - Painful Secrets**

* * *

Wham! Both of my hands were extended, shaking by then. Kisa was backed up against the wall with a five foot blade of ice protruding barely an inch to the left of her head! No… No… this wasn't… what I had meant to do at all! Kisa looked…

My eyes widened further as she slid down the wall, trembling. Then she started to scamper back up the stairs while remaining low… She… was running away from me. Kisa was… fleeing in terror from me. It sank in instantly, really.

Clinking sounds came from behind me and I absently felt that it was the ice shards falling out of the air and landing about Tohru's feet… All of the energy that was being generated from my anger no longer had a source to feed on, suddenly. Instead, it decided to take the amount of energy that I needed still out of my own personal pool, I guess.

Falling sideways, I discovered that I couldn't even twitch a muscle. Everything was dead weight… Deciding that was probably for the best, I just lay there and stared at the puddle of water growing on the floor in front of me. For wanting to prove to Kisa that I could control myself, that went disastrously wrong…

I tried to at least chuckle and discovered that I could barely manage to breathe even. Disastrous? That wasn't strong enough, really. Kisa was now even more scared of me! The mistake could better be described as a fatal failure!

My vision blurry suddenly and my body numb… Even in my deteriorating vision, I saw the black lines creeping up my arm towards my hand… What the hell…? Then I mentally chuckled. What did it matter? I probably deserved this for what I just did…

"You stupid lamb. Do you even deserve this power?" suddenly echoed from all around me! Huh?! Who was that?! The voice sounded incredibly deep and rasping? I didn't recognize it but I felt I should have for some reason… "You're so weak. I try to make you stronger and you fight me! You don't need those pathetic losers! Can't you see that? And that girl… That stupid girl is your biggest problem! You should have just let me kill her…" it growled then.

I mentally growled back. No! Kisa was everything to me! I loved her… "Ug… You bleat like a pathetic little lamb. Fine. If you want the girl as a mate, then take her as one! Just don't let her control you like this. It's dismal to watch!" it ordered, growling at the end. What… was it that I was talking to? Had I finally snapped…? About time, really…

There was a long pause and I felt that I was being glared at… What a strange feeling… "You're… an idiot…" it suddenly growled. I glared back but it continued, "Fine… whatever. I'll show you the truth eventually. Your mate calls, however, so you'd best pay attention at least, little lamb."

My vision suddenly went back into focus and I realized I was drooling on the floor… Ug! "He's still not moving! Call an ambulance, Yuki!" I heard Kisa exclaim. Huh? Kisa! My eyes darted upwards and I looked at her crouching over me, looking very concerned towards a point behind me, somewhere…

Inhaling then, I discovered that my lungs almost felt… stiff. I coughed a few times and finally managed to breath normally again! Wow… That was unpleasant! "Hiro!" Kisa exclaimed in relief as I sat up dizzily… I didn't sit up for long however, as she rapidly pounced me onto the floor again!

Wasn't she… scared of me…? I sat up with Kisa still resting on top of me. She simply rested against my chest and moved into my lap when I sat up fully… But… I didn't understand at all. Looking over at my arm then, I saw the black lines slowly receding and winced slightly. It was as if I had cut off the circulation for too long! A slow and dull ache was slowly drawing back down my arm.

"Your eyes are bloodshot too…" Yuki pointed out upon noticing my self-examination. Great… Tohru rushed forward as well and looked at my arm.

After a few more seconds, I sighed again. "I'm… sorry for… losing control like that. I guess that… you were…" I muttered.

Yuki laughed and shook his head. "No… you had far more control over it than last time. Last time, you could barely stop it from oozing everywhere, let alone form basic shapes! Now was a lot more refined, anyway," he pointed out. I got confused again…

Kyo sighed and slowly stood up finally. Blood was running down his chest… I must have still nicked him slightly with the blade after all. "Yeah… you pack quite a punch, brat. And… you wouldn't have lost control if… I hadn't attacked you so…" he muttered before looking away from me slightly and running a hand through his hair.

"Yuki and Kyo are trying to apologize for starting a fight with you…" Kisa absently muttered, still cuddling me. I looked down at her and smiled, running a hand along her face. Did I… deserve to have her like this after I almost killed her? "And… I'm sorry for not thinking and losing control myself, there," she added, looking back up at me. I frowned. What did she mean…? I was really the only one that… "I… shouldn't have run from you. That only proves that… my reaction was exactly as predicted and… I apologize. I really do… trust in you, Hiro," she finished, running a finger down my chest inattentively while talking.

Tohru smiled and stood back up again. "So… Kisa needs to get adjusted to this and Hiro needs a little more practice, that's all. Yuki pointed out the rate in which you're improving, so none of us should really have anything else to worry about, right?" Tohru deduced, super positively as usual. I blinked and looked up at her, bewildered.

"Um… I'm sorry for threatening you with the…" I started, remembering that she was involved too…

"Don't even try apologizing for just that…" Tohru interrupted, causing me to fall silent and look away slightly… Well… crap. That left me feeling somewhat… stupid. Maybe the disembodied and mysterious voice was right? I just didn't like its methods…

Standing up again, Kisa followed me of course. I then looked over at Kyo's chest for a few seconds before shifting to Yuki's arm. Hmm… I remembered that I could alter myself during training and such in my dreams. I wondered if the same could be applied to reality.

Walking forward then, I looked more closely at Kyo's cut. He raised an eyebrow at me but otherwise didn't say anything. Everyone else just watched silently as well. It hypothetically would work, I guess. I decided to try anyway…

Raising my hand to his chest to use as a focus, I gathered some of my rapidly recovering energy and projected it against his cut. In my mind, I saw the energy splash against his cut and sink in slightly! Concentrating further, I used my energy to manipulate his tissue… Opening my eyes again, I saw his widen. A light blue glow had drifted out of my hand and actually splashed against him! Well it WAS the color of my aura… so maybe my energy carried a slightly visible spectrum with it? Needless of the visuals, the cut rapidly sealed up by itself and I smiled before withdrawing my energy.

I smiled and backed up again, letting everyone else see my work. Kyo just skin where the cut was before and laughed. Yuki was smiling again finally and Kisa hugged my side. "I like this power a lot more, however…" she muttered, causing my smile to widen. Tohru nodded happily, of course.

Wait… clothes should be even easier, really. Absently, I felt out with my energy again, mentally focusing on the torn shirt. It didn't take nearly as much concentration and I rapidly formed his shirt back together again. Kyo grinned at the work and nodded towards me…

Yuki had less damage and didn't take as long to heal. He was in short sleeves as well and didn't have cloth to repair… This was definitely a more friendly use of the power… but I still felt drained after using it. Kisa must have noticed the heavy breathing, anyway… "Hiro… rest now. I think using your energy drains you or something…" she observed. I nodded and sat down at the kitchen table.

Suddenly I heard clapping and looked up. Shigure was leaning against the wall next to the stairs… "Those were some very interesting new skills, Hiro. Very useful indeed…" he commented, smiling at me. I felt slightly uneasy and shrugged.

"Once I gather some more energy back, I'll repair your house…" I committed, realizing that I was indeed responsible for all of the damage to the main hall.

Shigure nodded. "That would be much appreciated… unless of course you'd rather work off your bill instead…" he joked, pointing to the closet with the cleaning supplies in it. I glared at him…

"Don't push your luck, Mutt…" I grumbled before resting my head on my arms…

Shigure acted offended, in the most dramatic manner he could muster. "Oh… you're so cold! You're truly worthy of your element, Hiro…" he vividly declared. I sighed and got a headache. Kisa just giggled and sat down next to me, resting against my shoulder…

"Sorry for… almost…" I started before hesitating. It was still hard to believe what happened…

Kisa shook her head. "Don't worry about attacking me. You never would have actually hit me anyway…" she replied confidently. Huh?

I gave her a questioning glance but Yuki chuckled instead. "Oh please, Hiro. Every fiber of your being is set on protecting Kisa. Do you honestly think you would have hit her, even if you had fired hundreds of them? There wouldn't be much left of our poor house, but you and Kisa would have been unscathed…" he speculated. I blinked…

Well… it might have been true. I couldn't really tell if I had manipulated the shard or if it was off course before it even launched… Kisa smiled softly and nodded at me. I sighed again and chuckled. "You guys are almost too forgiving, sometimes…" I muttered.

Shigure whined sadly. "I'm not forgiving, remember?! Fix my house, Hiro…!" he complained… Yuki bashed him in the back of the head and he fell over again.

"Let him rest, Shigure…" Yuki lectured, causing Tohru and Kyo to laugh.

Kisa was frowning at my arm, however. "You should really get those looked at if it happens again, Hiro…" she muttered, rubbing a hand down my arm.

"I don't think he'll really be able to help much, though. It's kind of a unique condition at this point, isn't it…?" I pointed out.

Yuki shrugged. "Hatori's a skilled doctor. He might be able to surprise you…"

Finally giving up, I just nodded and rested again…

* * *

**Last Year**

* * *

Yawning, I looked up at the overcast sky. It looked like rain… Pity, as it had been such a nice morning. Kisa sat to my right and lazily munched an olive. She looked up and smiled when she noticed my attention, causing me to smile faintly back. The six of us had decided to eat our lunch on the school lawn, today. Ichijo and Mori were cuddling all of four feet to my left, of course. Mori got along surprisingly well with him, even if he did have lecherous moments. Somehow, I think she actually enjoyed the attention, though… Yoko and Inoue were discussing where to travel on break already, but my mind really wasn't with the present at the moment. Tohru had seemingly felt the need to further cheer us up and was planning on throwing another party for Kisa and I. It was after school today, so I really hoped it wouldn't rain…

Kisa had been in all of my classes so far. She was even in my gym class right before lunch! I had somewhat expected her to wait off to take weight training… although I didn't exactly take it right away either. It just never really interested me. Our martial training made us the top two in the class, however. I was amused when one of the freshmen pointed out to me that she was eyeing me up as she exited the locker room, though! Of course, being my naturally kind self, I went along with it and even walked up, pretending to flirt with Kisa clumsily. She caught on instantly and played along until finally just kissing me! The boy absolutely freaked until she showed him the ring and he glared at me… I couldn't stop laughing for at least fifteen minutes after that!

Stretching then, I felt particularly lazy just then. Maybe I had partially gotten adjusted to no classes during my recovery? Maybe… Practically everyone in the school had heard about the shooting! I was bombarded with questions by the time I got back! Kisa said she had gotten a few when she initially got back, but it eventually died down once she had told the whole story… Well… the parts of the story not involving crazy things happening, anyway. The sudden publicity was still a little awkward. I wasn't exactly as popular as Yuki used to be… but then again, I didn't really hang out with anyone beyond Kisa…

Motion suddenly drew my attention in my peripheral vision. My brain instantly detected that it was someone rapidly moving their arm down… A throw, perhaps? My right arm moved up without my telling it to and caught the rock before it hit my head. I sighed…

Kisa turned and stared vacantly at the rock sitting in my hand before shaking her head. Kisa's little cult returns, I guess. They were probably still pissed off that Kisa ignored them entirely even though I wasn't here… I stood up then and turned towards the person who launched the rock.

He wasn't alone, of course. He was in the back of a small crowd of six… all boys. Kisa stood up with me and sighed. Ichijo and Mori stopped flirting long enough to watch us curiously. Inoue and Yoko kept talking, however…

Two of the boys approached right away. "Sorry, Hiro. We're going to have to take Kisa now, however…" the one on the right explained, brushing his black bangs out of his face impatiently.

"And I apologize ahead of time for kicking your ass…" I replied, already bored.

The boy snorted. "I really don't think you could!" he exclaimed, stepping forward and pulling back his fist… Ah… he was a freshmen recruit, was he? My Ki started slowly churning then and things slowed down instantly as my brain started processing things several times faster… I'd learned to be a lot more subtle about it, anyway…

Waiting for his fist to come in so I could barely dodge and get away with saying he started the fight, I was surprised when I saw Kisa's palm come in and parry the fist for me! "You know… you and your fellow stalkers should really give me a say too…" Kisa pointed out irritably. Mori giggled and Inoue finally smiled over at her. "Can I have a few, Hiro?" Kisa then asked, sweetly smiling back at me.

The boy's eyes widened, his arm still stupidly stuck out in the air after it had been blocked. "What? But… you're a girl. You can't fight…" he denied in disbelief. Kisa lost her sweet smile and her expression became that of a glare instead as she turned slowly back around. Uh oh…

His arm was yanked forward seconds before his feet were swept out from under him. Kisa then followed up by forcing him downwards even faster than gravity was naturally taking him! I cringed slightly as he planted his face into the ground… There was a brittle crunching noise when he hit, then he didn't move again... Ouch. Well he now had a broken nose, anyway.

The other guy's eyes bugged out as he backed away from Kisa. Ha! Bet he didn't want her so badly now… Kisa smiled politely at me again as she stood up. "Sorry… He deserved that," she then commented. I laughed and shrugged.

"Take as many as you want. It's entertaining to watch, anyway," I assured, putting my hands in my pockets. Kisa nodded happily, causing the other guy to whimper and tried to run… Not a good idea.

Kisa turned casually and stepped on the back of his calf just as he was turning to run… He joined his friend on the ground half a second later. Kisa walked forward then and stepped on his back as she went over him. I chuckled and followed behind her casually, just on the off-chance she wanted to send one my way.

Two more seemed irritated at Kisa's obvious confidence and charged anyway. I laughed as the one got ahead of the other and threw a straight punch. Kisa simply ducked way under it and whipped her foot into his face before he even completed the punch! I saw blood splatter upwards as he whiplashed backwards. She hopped out of her kick and landed into a casual crouch on his chest! I winced inwardly at the display… She wasn't fooling around today!

The guy she landed on seemed to suddenly be struggling for air, oddly. His friend just blankly stared down at Kisa in surprise as she smiled cutely back up at him. Then he growled and lashed his foot out to… stomp on her? Kisa simply rolled to her right, off the boy on the ground entirely… His friend's foot entered his stomach then, instead of Kisa's back as intended! I laughed at the irony, still just casually watching.

Kisa came out of the roll with a sweep kick, just as the boy that got stomped doubled over in pain… Kisa's foot collided with the boy's friend's ankle, whipping his friend's foot into his face when he doubled over. Kisa was creative as ever… She was getting them to beat each other up instead…

The boy who got kicked, landed on, stomped, then bashed in the nose was now entirely unconscious, as predicted. His friend lost his balance from the sweep and fell over backwards, much to Kisa's amusement. The final two boys seemingly decided that Kisa was too dangerous a target! They skirted around her and charged at me instead. I sighed.

Kisa either didn't notice or didn't care. She instead walked over to the boy who was on the ground and casually planted her foot on his chest… As my two rushed, I turned so that my right side was to them. Just as the right one lashed his fist out violently, I stepped backwards. Watching the fist pass in front of my nose, I hooked my right leg on his ankle... and pulled my leg backwards. In one fluid motion, the boy lost balance and sprawled sideways! His partner instantly stomped on his back and kicked him in the head as he accidentally tripped over him… Idiots. Well one less for Kisa, but their incompetence was hardly my problem.

Noticing the other guy that charged me now sprawled frantically on the ground, and the other wasn't moving much, I went back to watching Kisa. Uh oh… the guy had grabbed her leg… "You know… I don't recall giving you permission to touch my leg. Only Hiro can touch me whenever and wherever he feels like," she stated, causing me to blush slightly. Mori giggled.

Then I saw Kisa reach down and grab each of his wrists! Oh, nice choice! I smiled in amusement as I saw her thumbs dig into his flesh. I don't think he was as amused however, as he started making horrible noises of agony… She ripped him into a kneeling position using the pressure points on his wrists! She then proceeded to pop out every knuckle on his hand in several quick and casual motions. Her Aikido training was being put to interesting use, I noticed… Inoue was just staring at her in shock as she mutilated each of the guy's hands. Well he had indeed touched her leg. That was a very grave offense for everyone except me, it would seem…

The guy behind me must have recovered suddenly, as I heard him growl as he charged. Sighing, I spun around and proceeded to dodge all of his attacks. It wasn't that hard as he wasn't aiming very well. "Kisa… do you really want this guy?" I finally asked, irritated with him.

Kisa looked up from her work long enough to offhandedly shake her head… She could have told me that a little sooner. His next punch got violently kicked aside instead of dodged. As he winced and rotated sideways from the impact, my right knee entered his gut. He doubled over in pain but I simply extended my leg fully as I leaned back a little, kicking him in the face as he doubled over.

I managed to get my right leg back on the ground and extend my left before he started to stumble backwards instead. My left leg collided with his back then and spun him around violently! His back was to me by the time I had leapt into the air, landed on my left leg, and brought my other leg around. My right heel collided with his back with all of the force from my spinning jump behind it! He went flying and landed on his face five feet away…

Staring at him for a few seconds, I noticed that he wasn't moving so I ignored him. Looking back at Kisa, I saw the horrible masterpiece of human art that she seemed to be going for… She'd dislocated almost every joint in each arm and leg! The poor boy now flopped around limply like a fish on the ground. I shook my head and walked up to her, hands still in pockets.

"You missed the hip joints…" I pointed out, getting bored again.

Kisa absently nodded. "That would have involved touching his hips, though…" she whined. Judging by the amount of pain he was in, I deduced that he probably wouldn't have noticed anyway… but decided not to question it.

The leader screamed and ran away, of course. Withdrawing my right hand from my pocket, finally, I noticed that I was still holding the rock. I smiled at it before whipping it as fast as I could towards the fleeing leader! I saw a splatter of blood as the rock entered his left calf. He yelped and dropped like a rock…

Shaking my head sadly, I walked over and hauled him to his feet. Dragging him along, I headed towards the main building. Kisa instinctively followed after…

"W…Where are you taking me?! Let me go!" he demanded shakily.

I shook my head. "I'll let you go right after you tell exactly what happened to the principle and give him all of the information on your little club," I informed.

The boy's eyes widened. "But… we'd be expelled!" he protested.

I nodded. "I'm fairly certain that's the point… And you might be arrested for harassment first," I pointed out. He went pale and stopped protesting…

The secretary wore an extremely bewildered expression as I dropped the boy onto her floor. "I believe the principle will be interested in this one," I commented after I dropped him. Kisa walked up to join me at my left. The secretary finally smiled and nodded.

Pressing a button on the box on her desk, the secretary spoke clearly, "Hiro Sohma is here again, Sir." I heard a light groan before she released the button.

After a few seconds, the door to her left opened and the principle walked out. He was a moderately heavyset man with a noticeable bald spot expanding from the top of his head of black hair. He wore dark rimmed glasses and adjusted them on his nose before looking down at the boy I so indifferently spilled onto his floor…

"Only one, this time, Hiro?" he asked, sounding surprised.

Kisa shook her head. "There are six more in various stages of pain on the lawn in front of the school," she explained. The principle sighed and turned towards the secretary. "Call the school nurse and tell her to get out to the lawn as fast as possible…" he ordered. She nodded and picked up the phone on her desk…

The principle turned back to us then. "Who is this one, then?" he asked, obviously noting that I had hauled one in this time and deducing that he was different.

"He's the leader of the group that attacked us. He should be able to get you a little more detailed information on the club, anyway…" Kisa again answered for me.

I nodded in agreement. "Yes. With this, maybe you can make some headway in actually putting an end to this crap. Kisa and I are engaged now and I'm tired of being harassed on an almost daily basis!" I exclaimed angrily. Kisa leaned gently against my shoulder and nuzzled my cheek, causing me to calm down a little again…

The boy's eyes widened suddenly as he looked up at Kisa. She smirked spitefully at him before raising her ring into sight. The boy glared briefly before rapidly looking away again, as if it burned his eyes! Ha! The principle seemed to remain oblivious to the display and just nodded at me instead.

"You can believe me when I say that I want this resolved as well. It's costing us a large sum in medical treatments alone, after all. I'll see what information I can get today. You two had better get to class though as lunch is almost over now," he pointed out. Both of us bowed politely before turning and leaving the office.

Kisa sighed after a few seconds of walking. "I hope this finally takes care of things…" she commented.

"Probably wishful thinking… but I do too," I agreed, nodding. With that behind us, we headed to our classes…

* * *

**Revealed Anguish**

* * *

For once, two classes without Kisa. I'll admit that it was a good run but it couldn't have lasted… She had health and psychology to take and I definitely didn't. Unfortunately, I really didn't have anything to take for the sixth slot… The only class that fit my schedule, unfortunately, was…

I sighed upon entering the gym again. Yup… Thirty some girls and only two boys looked my direction. Gymnastics was, unfortunately, the only class that worked in this slot… Much to my surprise, Yoko was one of the boys? I smiled and nodded to him as I walked up. He returned the nod and tilted his head before asking, "What… you too?"

I laughed. "Yeah… This was the only thing feasible this hour," I returned. More than seventy five percent of the girls were whispering and looking back at me now. Stupid aura. I still think we had… some kind of aura or something that affected people! It was like it was built into the curse. Attract members of the opposite sex to us and then make sure we can't actually get close to them. Sounds like a nice description of a curse to me… Not that it mattered as I had a fellow cursed companion whom I could hug all I wanted… but it was just the principle of it that pissed me off…

Noticing nobody was going into the locker rooms to change, I questioned Yoko on the subject. He explained that the teacher had informed them that today would just be an introduction day… Ug… This hour would be a slow one…

My headache was colossal by the time the hour was up! I never wanted to hear anything about the "practical applications" of gymnastics ever again! What kind of teacher really needs to hype their own topic that much? Shaking my head, I headed upstairs. Kisa was chatting with a couple girls outside of her classroom when I got there. She instantly grinned towards me and disengaged, wandering over.

"Hey Hiro! How'd gymnastics go?" she asked merrily. I just stared blankly at her however and she blinked a few times, before answering herself, "That bad… wow…" I nodded slowly and sighed.

Turning around, I headed back towards the gym. Kisa just fell into step at my side. She didn't seem all that fazed by her class, it would seem. "I'm guessing Health class wasn't as bad as you thought it would be?" I asked halfway there. Kisa smiled more.

"No… There are lots of nice people in there so I don't think it will be too bad…" she replied, nodding happily as she walked. I was reminded of Tohru briefly… but it didn't bother me too much. Kisa was still adorable when she was like this.

Walking into the gym, both of slipped into our individual locker rooms. I rapidly changed into my uniform and wandered back out again, ignoring the stares. Yeah… everyone else in the class were freshmen… but this would still be amusing!

Kisa was exiting at almost the same time and I nodded to her before sitting down. She sat down right next to me of course… so close that she was actually pressed into my side. I looked over at her curiously until I noticed almost every boy in the class gawking at her. Stupid freshmen… Kisa had an aura too… but she was naturally adorable and super cute… so it made extra sense.

Kazuma exited the staff office and scanned the crowd. Kisa and I smiled merrily. Yes, we had joined beginner karate… It was Kazuma's first class so we simply had to welcome him! Kazuma stopped suddenly when he saw us…

His eyebrow suddenly rose as he looked questioningly towards us. Everyone was watching him, and turned to look at us as well. "Aren't you two a little… overqualified to be in this class?" he asked, sounding extremely amused. Kisa giggled but I just smiled.

"We had to see you at your first class! Besides, we should be here to make sure you're teaching these kids correctly, right?" I offered. Kazuma broke into laughter and I could hear whispering off to the sides.

After Kazuma recovered, he just shook his head sadly, still smiling however. "What am I going to do with you two? Fine… You get to help me teach the class, though," he ordered. Both of us saluted him playfully and stood up. He nodded and smiled. "Class… This young gentleman's name is Hiro, and the young lady is Kisa. Both of them are practically masters of martial arts, so they're going to help me teach this year…" he informed. More whispers, but we walked to the front anyway.

Kazuma started to break the class into training groups then, each with their own equipment. We were tasked with walking around and explaining basic maneuvers to them and correcting them on any issues for the rest of the period.

Exiting the locker room after break was over, I idly wondered if Kisa got as many questions as I did. Most were about my training and what I knew, but quite a few were about Kisa… I stretched idly and smiled at Kisa as she exited her locker room shortly after me. She smiled weakly in return as she walked up. Was something bothering her?

"What's wrong, Kisa? I would have thought you'd be happier, going to a party after this…" I asked, concerned. Kisa lost her feeble attempt at a smile and looked down slightly.

"Um… about the party… The student government asked me to stay after school for a few hours to help me train a few new recruits… I'm… not going to be able to make it to the party for a little bit," she explained, averting her eyes from me. A few… hours…? I sighed and looked down slightly. I knew this day was going too perfectly.

I nodded politely, anyway. "Okay… Uh… is there any time you want me to pick you up, specifically?" I asked her. Kisa's eyes widened.

"They don't know exactly how long it's going to take… so it would really be too much trouble, Hiro! I can just walk to Shigure's house after I'm done, don't worry…" she explained. I was hoping to walk with her… but I guess that would logically work better…

"Ah…" I muttered, looking down again. Kisa frowned and bit her lower lip, seeming uncertain. Kazuma raised an eyebrow to us from his position next to the staff office. Finally, after almost thirty seconds of uncomfortable silence, I looked back up and nodded to her. "Very well. Good luck training the new freshmen and I'll see you in a few hours…" I spoke.

Kisa smiled and nodded slightly. "Um… thanks. I'll probably need it…" she joked weakly. I nodded once more before heading for the door. Well… crap. This wouldn't seem like a party without Kisa there.

It took me over twenty minutes to get to Shigure's house. Although it's not like I was walking very fast as I didn't really want to get there in the first place. I'd been pondering just going back to the apartment for the duration anyway… but decided that it would be rude and I'd probably get yelled at.

Yuki and Kyo were setting up the badminton net in the backyard when I arrived. Yuki saw me and smiled. I couldn't find the energy to smile back, though, and wandered inside instead. Taking my shoes off, I entered the main hall and headed for the living room. Laying down on the couch, I did something I never expected I'd do at a party… I took my textbooks out of my backpack and started doing my homework!

I was halfway through math when Kyo peeked around the corner and into the living room. He stared questioningly at my book and I could almost see cat ears perk up on his head in curiosity… It was amusing, all of the cat-like traits he portrayed sometimes. Wandering in, he peeked over the top of the book to look. "Is that… math you're doing, squirt?!" he then asked in disbelief.

"Last time I checked, yeah. Although I'm surprised you were able to recognize it…" I commented, irritated at his loudness.

Kyo snorted and glared at me briefly. "You know, this is a party. Normally you shouldn't do your homework here…" he pointed out crossly.

"It doesn't really feel like a party until Kisa gets here anyway… so I may as well," I explained, flipping the page. These problems weren't that hard, anyway…

"When is the brat going to get here, anyway? Half of this party is for her, after all…" Kyo asked impatiently.

I sighed and shrugged. "She's training new members of the student government and said she might be a few hours…"

"Hours?!" he exclaimed in frustration, growling afterwards. He then stalked off gruffly. I sighed. He was probably off to complain to Tohru now… Honestly, a person older than me shouldn't be that immature. I went back to doing math…

Math was done and I was halfway through physics before the next interruption. Haru and Momiji had seemingly arrived at the party and sought me out. They both came strolling into the living room and stared blankly at me.

"We heard about Kisa… She's really running you through the grinder today, isn't she?" Momiji asked, snickering merrily. I glared at him over my book. After a few seconds, I simply shrugged and flipped the page, continuing my writing. Two more pages flipped in silence before Momiji spoke up again. "I'd hate to say it but the party feels kind of dead without her. Why are you just doing your homework?"

"It beats doing it after the party… and until Kisa gets here…" I pointed out, earning a nod from both of them. Haru was quiet today…

Momiji just shook his head sadly and wandered out of the room. I glanced over at Haru, who stared blankly back for several seconds. He then wandered over to the end of the couch and flopped down there, lounging. I blinked and shrugged. The company was somewhat nice, anyway, even if neither of us said anything…

Rin had wandered in and sat down on Haru by the time I was done with physics. I packed the books back into the backpack and sat up again. Slipping the backpack over my shoulder, I wandered into the kitchen again, being followed by Haru and Rin. Setting my backpack down against the wall, I sat down at the table. Uo and Hana were here too? Hana was just sitting politely next to Tohru, looking as bleak as ever. Uo was resting on her hand and drumming her fingers impatiently. How long had I been here? Two hours? No… probably closer to three. For a long time, nobody said anything…

"How much longer is the twerp going to take?" Kyo loudly outburst, suddenly! Uo glared at him irritably while Tohru looked slightly panicked then. Yuki utterly ignored it and continued staring blankly past me to some point on the wall. Kagura scowled at him, and Rin and Haru, previously absorbed in each other, looked up blankly.

I sighed. "As long as she has to…" I replied vaguely. It's not like I knew specifically…

Kyo snorted and shook his head angrily. "Well I'm getting tired of waiting for her! We should start the party without her…" he suddenly declared. Tohru freaked and Yuki finally glared over at him. I felt something twitch inside of me then.

Why did this always seem to happen whenever we tried to be happy? Was it impossible for an event to just… work out perfectly? Again… there was this sense of resolute sadness there… It was like I was supposed to be miserable! Was this just the… "fate" of a zodiac member or something?! I felt something deep in my chest twist uneasily…

My cheeks were wet? Tears slipped out accidentally as I stood up, then. "Then I'm sure you can have the party without me, as well. Feel free to give me a call when she gets here…" I informed before walking into the hall again, snatching my bag on the way.

"Hiro, wait!" I heard Tohru exclaim. I ignored her completely. This day fell apart so quickly that I couldn't make sense of it anymore… Was this… my broken self making things worse again? It seemed that I felt everything so much more… vividly after the incident…

I slipped my shoes on and walked outside. Unfortunately, I realized that it must have started raining some time ago… Damn. Oh well… The rain would probably refresh me anyway. "The stupid cat didn't mean it, Hiro! Wait!" I heard Yuki shout suddenly as he ran to catch up with Tohru, who was following me out of the house. Like that made it not true?

Yuki surpassed Tohru then and finally caught up with me, grabbing my shoulder with his left hand. "That's the last straw. I'm going to have to have a little talk with that girl about her priorities. An hour or so is understandable but three is ridiculous! She should…" he started to angrily spit out. I shoved him backwards in a second!

"No… you won't say a damn thing to her! Is it so hard to see that she needs her friends support at this point in her life! If you yell at her for that, she's just going to think that it's wrong for her to even have joined the student government!" I shouted at him, unable to stop the tears finally…

Haru and Rin had followed us out and now stopped, staring sadly at me. I… hated everyone's stares. Were we that hard to understand? Two glowing red eyes pulsed in my mind, then?! "Yes… Can't you see that they just don't understand you, lamb? It would be so much easier to just get rid of them…" that dark voice pointed out again… No!

Gasping out loud then, I clutched at my head! It… hurt so much suddenly! Then I saw that when I gasped, I could suddenly see my breath in the air… My body temperature dropped that much?! Yuki widened his eyes when he noticed my breath but Tohru seemed oblivious.

"Hiro… She needs you too…" she muttered sadly, frowning at me.

I shook there for a few seconds. "Then where the hell is she?!" I shouted at her, not sure if it was me… or it that answered! No… I… didn't mean that… I understood Kisa's needs! She… needed the student government… "Does she, now?" the voice suddenly asked.

"Shut up!" I screamed at it, getting dark chuckling in return. Then my eyes widened as I realized that I had screamed out loud… Yuki was frowning at me then. Rin and Haru wore a confused expression and Tohru's eyes got watery.

Shaking slightly, I looked down at the ground before turning and walking towards the front gate again… I'd almost exited the yard when I heard weak laughter…? Turning around, I stared blankly at Tohru. She was laughing, crying, and shaking at the same time. That looked familiar…

"How… do you do it, Hiro? You hold… so much sadness yet… you're always so nice and understanding…" Tohru stuttered out.

I sighed and looked down again, not sure how to answer. "She has a point you know, lamb. You should really kill more things. It might relieve some of your frustration…" the voice suddenly agreed. I ignored it again…

Tohru just shook her head when I didn't answer. "I've tried to tell her… but she just… doesn't see it clearly. It's hard when she's a part of the issue obviously but… she still shouldn't… How do you… release the frustration and pain, Hiro?" she finally asked, looking back up at me.

"I don't…" I replied simply. That was an easy question, anyway.

Yuki chuckled suddenly… "So you just keep hanging on to the past then… That stupid accident is so far behind you… so you can let yourself be happy finally, you realize? When is it your turn to be happy instead of it just being hers? A relationship is supposed to be equal participation, after all… and she doesn't seem to be playing very well when it comes to that."

I sighed. It wasn't that easy… "For her to continue walking forward, I can't tell her these things. And… until I can at least make up for not being there… I can't just let go. Until then… I doubt I'll get a turn…" I explained before turning around again. This was all so stupid… Looking down at my hand, I noticed that frost had started to form along the fingers as black veins ran up towards the hand again. Chuckling to myself, I ignored their further protests and walked off into the rain…

* * *

**Bad Timing**

* * *

Sighing, I wondered if I was really that dense when I was a freshman! I really hoped not. It took almost three hours to fully instruct them on their duties to where they could perform them with some competency at least! Now I was really late for the party and poor Hiro probably was getting so bored… The stupid student government… Maybe I should just quit. Lately, they seem to be more and more work, anyway!

Sighing as it started to rain again, I popped open my umbrella as I walked. Footsteps sounded from behind me suddenly and I turned in time to see Inoue and Mori run up! I smiled and nodded to them as they fell into step under my umbrella. "Perfect timing, that. So, where are we headed…?" Mori asked, snickering. I laughed.

"Well I'm headed to a back to school party that Sis is throwing… I suppose she wouldn't have a problem with you two showing up as well, though," I deduced. Inoue smiled.

"Thanks Kisa. We really didn't have much to do anyway and walking in the rain would have just sucked," she pointed out.

I giggled and nodded. They were both in student government as well and would probably fuss if I quit. Hiro really deserved the extra attention though so maybe I really should? "You're awfully quiet today, Kisa. Is something wrong?" Inoue suddenly asked, frowning at me.

I shrugged. "I'm just… worried that I'm not spending enough time with Hiro. I've been awfully busy lately as the student government keeps giving me more and more responsibilities…" I explained.

Mori nodded absently and seemed to be thinking. "Well… Hiro seems to understand that so you shouldn't worry too much. Just make your time together really special and that should keep him content," she speculated. I sighed and nodded weakly. Content was okay, I guess. Actually happy would be better…

Inoue giggled suddenly. Both of us glanced over at her and she grinned. "Maybe you should get him to join the student government. We could probably use his cunning and he'd definitely be useful next year as most of their senior members leave…" she pointed out. I pondered… Well we could definitely use Hiro and his awesome business strategies… but getting him to join would be hard. I could spend more time with him then, though! I'd have to consider my sales pitch carefully, anyway…

"Eh… it's worth a shot. Getting him to join might be tricky, but I'll try," I promised. Both girls nodded and agreed.

The yard was unsurprisingly deserted when we got there. The rain had probably driven everyone indoors… That would mean that Hiro was probably REALLY bored by now! Oh boy… I was probably going to get really chewed out!

The three of us took our shoes off and entered the main hall. I checked the kitchen and nobody was there. Odd. The dining room was empty too. Continuing along, I suddenly heard voices from the living room! There they are…

It was a bit surprising when I looked in, though. Everyone was there, all sitting in various seats around the living room! There was utter silence when everyone looked up at me. Mori shifted uncomfortably after almost thirty seconds. "Kisa… I thought you were inviting us to a party? This has the atmosphere of a funeral…" she complained bluntly, causing Inoue to gulp.

Yuki shook his head. "It might as well be one…" he replied heatedly. Why was Yuki so upset?!

Shigure suddenly started chuckling. "Hiro got bored and left. I think he took everyone's spirits with him, though…" he explained. Hiro… left? Oh no… not again…

"Where'd he… go?" I asked, growing concerned.

Kyo snorted. "Assumingly back to his apartment, since he told us to call him when you showed up…" he informed irritably. Everyone seemed upset…

Sis looked utterly depressed, I suddenly noticed! She was just shivering there in the big recliner. Her hair was damp but she didn't seem to care… "I… never knew…" she suddenly muttered softly. I frowned at her.

"Never knew… what?" I asked, concern skyrocketing. Something seemed so wrong!

Tohru frowned slightly before asking, "…but… how can one person hold so much sadness and still… function? And be so nice and…"

I blinked. "You… aren't talking about Hiro, are you?" I asked her.

Sis looked right at me this time and I wanted to run away, suddenly… "You've… never noticed?" she asked. Suddenly I just wanted to talk to Hiro! Leaving the room, I rapidly headed towards the dining room and grabbed the phone in there. I rapidly dialed and waited for a response.

Hiro took two rings to pick up and put a sleepy hello into the receiver. "Hiro, are you okay?" I asked instantly.

There was a moment of pause before he replied, "Kisa? Of course I'm okay. I've just been researching things on the internet here… Are you at the party now? If so, I'll come back in."

I frowned. He sounded… sleepy… but not really sad. "Okay. I'll see you in a few minutes, then," I returned. He agreed and rapidly hung up. Okay… I sighed. Now I didn't know what to believe…

Walking back into the dining room, I noticed nobody had moved much. Inoue and Mori had sat down on the floor then next to Sis' recliner. "I called Hiro. He was at his apartment researching things and said he'd be right in. I don't know what you guys were talking about though. He sounded okay to me…" I informed upon sitting down next to them.

Yuki shook his head sadly and Sis sighed again. Momiji chuckled however. "Hiro is really funny sometimes… It's still kind of amazing how he does it, though," he absently spoke. Huh?

"What are you talking about?" I asked him. Momiji smiled at me.

Well he WAS the future psychologist, anyway. "Hiro takes all of his pain… All of the misery that builds up and just crams it away inside of his heart. He then puts on a mask of happiness so nobody will worry about him as he rots away on the inside," Momiji explained, sounding sad this time.

Inoue frowned. "He seems happy enough, though," she pondered out loud. Mori nodded in agreement.

"Of course Kisa, and those closest to her, would feel the mask the strongest. He puts the most effort into hiding it then as he doesn't want Kisa to find out. That would ruin his point of doing it…" Momiji countered.

I shook my head. "How can you be so sure about all of this?!" I asked, frustrated. No… Hiro couldn't be this sad!

Yuki sighed this time. "Because we saw the mask crack today… and what was behind it wasn't a very pretty sight at all…" he informed. My eyes widened as Sis started crying again… It made Sis cry…? No…

Momiji nodded. "And if it cracked today, that means that either his mental reserves are running really low or that the darkness he's holding back is starting to overwhelm him… It's a point of academic interest to think about what would happen if all that burst. Would it just consume him entirely? It's like a self-induced dementia…" Momiji reasoned.

Kyo smacked him in the head and he winced. "You aren't helping, Momiji…" he pointed out before frowning back over at Sis.

"But what will happen when the mask finally breaks?" Kagura asked ahead of me. I frowned and turned my attention back to Momiji as he shrugged.

"That's hard to say. If it were to break suddenly without him being able to brace any of it… disastrous things would happen. Regardless, whoever broke the barrier would probably see a very dark and broken Hiro… This would probably be followed by another loss of control, potentially worse than what we saw earlier…" Momiji explained. Inoue and Mori frowned, obviously not knowing what he was talking about… but I did! And if it was going to be worse than that..! I gulped slightly…

Rin shook her head. "This is all fine and gloomy, but how do we fix it?" she asked. Rin always did cut right to the heart of the issue…

Momiji shook his head and sighed. "That one is hard… It's pressure almost ten years in the making. It's going to take time and the support of friends to eventually ease that off him. The only problem is that I doubt he'll let us if Kisa isn't supportive of it as well…" he added, looking over at me again. Everyone looked at me, actually, and I could feel myself shrink slightly.

Haru nodded. "It's settled then. We start today when he gets here. Kisa will be the primary source of the love and attention but we all have to support him!" he dictated. It was one of those things that you couldn't really challenge… so I didn't say anything. Not that I had a problem with it anyway as, if Hiro was hurt, I wanted to help him as best I could!

Inoue frowned suddenly. "If you don't mind asking, what was this loss of control that you were talking about?" she asked then. My eyes widened but Momiji just smiled.

"It was a lot like Haru's black form… but less targeted so it was a lot more destructive. There's very little wording that I could use to describe the level of damage that occurred… so I'd rather not," Momiji briefly explained, causing me to sigh. Inoue and Mori both widened their eyes, though.

Nobody got to say anything else as the door in the main hall suddenly slammed? I frowned and looked towards the hall just as Hiro skidded around the corner on his socks and smashed into the wall! His eyes were wide as he burst past me and dived behind the sofa?

"I'M SO SORRY!! I DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE!!" suddenly exploded from the hallway. Ritsu? He burst in at full speed and rapidly started flailing around the living room, much to everyone's amusement. "PLEASE! ANY DAMAGES YOU SUSTAINED SHOULD BE RETURNED TO ME A THOUSAND TIMES OVER!" he shouted again, looking around for Hiro it would seem.

Haru kicked him in the side as he crawled by and he collapsed instantly, wiggling a little on the ground… I tilted my head at Hiro as he exited from behind the sofa. "Err…. Sorry about that, everyone. He was walking to the party too and I didn't see him. His foot got stuck in the spokes of my bike and he accidentally flipped me, however…" Hiro explained.

"Are you okay, Hiro?!" I asked, worried and walking over to examine him.

Hiro laughed. "I'm perfectly fine, Kisa…" he replied, seeming perfectly happy. If Momiji was right, though… I wrapped my arms around his neck anyway and melted into him as he held me. "Really, I'm okay, Kisa," he assured, smiling at me but decidedly not letting go anyway.

"Well now that you're here, we can get this party started!" Uo suddenly exclaimed abruptly. I silently thanked her for breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Momiji laughed and was sprinting down the hall by the time most of us stood up. Sis finally smiled and chased after him, followed rapidly by Kyo. Haru and Rin trailed behind us and Kagura stayed in the living room, looking out the window for a little bit… Yuki stopped walking with us when he noticed and walked back to talk to her. I shrugged and just followed Hiro.

Kyo and Sis had stopped in the kitchen, however. It seemed the rain had let up a little so the grill had become a viable option again! I smiled softly, remembering Sis' wonderful cooking… Hiro walked forward then along with Kyo. Much to my surprise, both of them offered to help Sis carry the boxes of food out! Sis smiled and nodded to both boys as they each picked up a box and carried them out. Sis followed, along with us.

Sis got the grill set up as Kyo and Hiro sat the boxes down on the table. "Kyo! Play with me!" Momiji suddenly yelled at full volume, waving a badminton racket around! Kyo looked over at Hiro, who shrugged.

"There's only one box left. I can go get it if you want to play… You know he'll just keep screaming if you don't," Hiro pointed out. Momiji grinned and nodded.

Kyo rolled his eyes. "Fine… just don't drop it," he agreed before turning and heading towards the net. Sis smiled at his back as he went. She was right… they were getting along better than before.

Hiro smiled at me as he wandered back into the house to get the last box. I grinned and nodded back as he passed. Well this day wasn't as dire as I thought it was going to be!

Mori frowned when he went inside. "He doesn't seem all that sad…" she commented. Inoue nodded absently and I smiled. Maybe he was better than everyone thought. "Just about as depressed as you seem today, anyway, Kisa," Mori added, smirking. I glared at her.

"I only get depressed when I think Hiro's in trouble…" I commented… Inoue breathed a sigh of relief. Huh? What was that about?

She noticed my questioning look and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry… When we saw how depressed you were, I guess we just jumped to the conclusion that you hadn't been accepted, that's all… Sorry," she explained. Accepted? Oh!

I laughed. "Oh… no, it's not that, silly. I'm sorry… I didn't have time to tell you with everything the student government dumped on me. Of course they accepted me. After giving me the full scholarship, it would seem silly if they didn't," I pointed out, sticking my tongue out at her. Inoue grinned and Mori chuckled.

"A college gave you a full scholarship? That's great, Kisa! Where did you finally decide to go?" I suddenly heard Hiro ask from behind me…

My heart abruptly stopped beating. Oh… no… Inoue and Mori both looked confused at me as the color probably drained out of my face and I locked up. Oh crap… oh crap… what do I do?!

Hiro wandered past me and set the box down on the table before smiling towards me. "I've pretty much got accepted into any around here, so I'll just pick whichever one you've decided to go to!" he exclaimed happily. Oh… crap…

Inoue and Mori both dropped their jaws briefly before glaring at me… This was a disaster! "You never told him?!" Mori suddenly exclaimed in total disbelief! No!

Hiro blinked and lost his smile, looking over at her in slight confusion… "Uh… told me what?" he asked. I cringed. Why today of all days?! I gulped and looked at my feet for a couple seconds…

"Hiro… um… I'm sorry that I never told you this before now… um… and try to listen to the whole thing, okay?" I asked.

Hiro nodded slowly, still seeming uncertain. Tohru had finally noticed behind him and was giving me every sign for "For the love of everything that is just, stop now!" that she could think of, of course… There wasn't anything I could do to not tell him, now!

"Well… I should have talked to you of course before I submitted the application but… I was so excited over the full scholarship and… well…" I started. Hiro smiled and nodded assuredly at me. "…well… it's just… the school is kind of… in the United States. Um…" I finished. Tohru stopped being frantic and just stared in horror at Hiro's back. Hiro lost his smile and just stared vacantly at me, not quite processing all of it…

Mori sighed and lowered her head. I didn't know what to do so I just kept talking. "The only thing is that… they're only offering me the full scholarship if I sign up right away so… I kind of did already and… now I have to leave for two and a half months of leadership orientation before the actual fall semester. So I'll only get about two weeks here after graduating High School… so…" I continued. Inoue's jaw dropped and she paled slightly. Momiji missed his serve behind Tohru and turned around to look at me wearing a shocked expression. Kyo was just glaring from the other side of the net…

Hiro's right eye twitched slightly… "But… our wedding… and…" he muttered. I winced and nodded.

"Yeah… we could still get the ceremony it but… we wouldn't have time for the honeymoon at all so… I was… possibly considering that it might be better to… you know… postpone it for an extra year… or… wait until we were both done with college…" I speculated, glancing uneasily at him. His pupils shrank this time as his eyes trembled a little. Shrank? That was the… opposite of when he channeled… What did that mean?!

Hiro suddenly doubled over like someone had punched him in the stomach! My eyes widened as he started clutching his head and shaking there. Tohru rushed up and started patting him on the shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Hiro… Just calm down and we'll talk about this, okay?" she suddenly spoke softly, rubbing his shoulder. Kyo and Momiji walked over as well…

"No… just… stop talking! I… won't do that… but…" Hiro suddenly groaned out, closing his eyes violently. Mori looked startled and Inoue confused. Huh?

I frowned. "Won't do what, Hiro? Um… I can… talk about this all you want… please… just…" I started stuttering.

Hiro suddenly made a suppressed gagging sound and started coughing! I saw black veins sneaking up his arms and his breath became more and more visible with each cough! No!

I reached towards Hiro but he suddenly smacked away my hand! Looking up again, I saw his pupils glowing a bright blue color as he… glared at me! My eyes widened but he was already sprinting towards the side of the house!

"No!" Kyo shouted and pounced towards him with equally blurring speed! Hiro got faster though and went through a barrage of hand strikes! Kyo blocked the first three but got nicked in the shoulder as he attempted to grab onto Hiro! The hit was enough to spin him around entirely, and he lost his balance briefly. By the time he corrected himself, Hiro was gone around the side of the yard and I heard his bike's kickstand snap up…

The happiness sank out of me instantly and I let myself fall to my knees. That wasn't how it was supposed to go! Why did that have to happen?! Screaming out in frustration, I punched my fist three inches into the ground…

* * *

**Chapter 24 - End!**

* * *

Author's Notes:

Wow… I'm finally back! School's out now and… I was extremely busy with everything. Plus I had a few minor… setbacks in my mindset, but I'm doing better now. I'll tell you more in the next Author's Notes section, since you probably want to get rid of the cliffhanger as fast as possible. Nya…

As usual, the review responses will be in the next chapter. I hope I still have readers left, as it's been SO LONG since I've updated… I feel REALLY bad about all of that. Ug.

Not many notes on this chapter in particular. Certainly, you guys should be used to cliffhangers by now. I also wanted to include more on the Kisa Fan Club, since I hadn't dealt with them in a while, and still have a few things to resolve and introduce with them… so that went well.

Anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter and I'll see you at the bottom of next chapter, as always!

-Angsty Tiger


	25. Awakening

* * *

**Chapter 25 - Awakening**

* * *

Thankfully we had borrowed an umbrella this time as the rain had started once more. Mori walked slowly along to my left then and watched the sky. It was so dark suddenly and the rain was heavy. Everything seemed extremely dark and bleak about then… although probably fitting in light of the situation.

Mori suddenly sighed again. "Remind me again why we're doing this, Inoue?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Because we're at least partially responsible for what happened and Kisa is our friend who needs our help?" I reminded. Mori shook her head.

After a few more seconds, she asked, "Do we really want to find him? I mean, he acted like a spoiled brat and left without telling Kisa anything! We should just let him pout wherever he ran off to…"

"Mori!" I growled, before adding, "He looked more shocked and disturbed to me… and he's our friend too, so we should at least try for Kisa's sake!"

Mori sighed again and crossed her arms. "Don't tell me you actually believe all that bullshit that Momiji spouted off?!" she suddenly asked, looking back over at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Does it matter? If Hiro is hurting somewhere, that's enough proof to say we should help still," I argued. Mori laughed.

"Oh fine. But I'm so going to give him a piece of my mind if we do find him! He needs it for doing that to Kisa!" she proclaimed.

My eyes bugged out. "No, Mori! What if you push him over the edge?!" I frantically asked.

Mori rolled her eyes this time. "What, are you afraid of a dark and broken Hiro, now?" she asked. All I did was nod shakily. It did sound kind of scary!

"But… if Hiro is supposed to be worse than Haru's black form…" I muttered, nervous now.

Mori shook her head. "We're his friends, Inoue. He's not going to attack us…" she assured. Somehow that didn't sound very promising…

"If I die, Mori, I am so haunting you for the rest of your life…" I promised irritably. Mori started laughing again.

"You worry too much, Inoue. My plans have yet to kill you, you know…" she pointed out in amusement.

I sighed. "Yet… How reassuring…" I muttered, shaking my head sadly.

Five minutes passed in silence as we just looked about. Finally I tried to gather my thoughts more. "Okay… so Kyo went to the apartment, Yuki is checking out the dojo and main Sohma estate, Haru and Rin are looking around downtown, and Uo and Hana are checking out the suburbs. What does that leave us with?" I contemplated.

"Barely anything at all… Odds are that we aren't going to find him, so I don't see why you're so worried," Mori pondered idly. I sighed again.

We wandered into the school district, then. Chances are that he wasn't here, but it was worth the check anyway. Mori was so upset with Hiro, though. I could kind of see where she was coming from, after how everyone treated Kisa at the party because of Hiro's actions… Still, Hiro had just been told that his fiancée would be leaving two weeks after graduation to a country halfway around the planet and was postponing their wedding another four years to do it. I can see why he was more than a little shocked, as well…

"We should just go home…" Mori complained again. I rolled my eyes and ignored her, so she continued, "It's not like we're going to find him so we aren't really making any difference in the search at…"

We both locked up at the same time. Hiro was lying on a bench casually staring up at the sky! The bench was across the street from the all-girl elementary school? He just rested there, unblinking as the rain landed on him. He wasn't even flinching when the drops landed in his eyes! Not good!

We walked towards him then but he didn't even seem to acknowledge our presence. He just kept staring upwards. With the rain, there was no way we could tell if he was crying or not… We stopped about five feet from him and just watched him stare expressionlessly into the sky.

"This was Kisa's elementary school. I met her here when I was in second grade. She was being picked on by an older boy and I chased him away. Then I started escorting her back and forth after a week or so of random encounters," he suddenly spoke clearly.

I smiled towards him. They've been friends for a while… "Random?" I asked casually. Hiro smiled slightly at that.

"I changed my route and kept taking this one after I first met her, hoping to see her again," he corrected, sounding slightly amused.

I chuckled. "You're too sweet sometimes, Hiro. So you've been Kisa's knight in shining armor ever since, huh?" I speculated. He lost his smile in an instant! Oops…

Silence prevailed for a while and I looked over at Mori, who just sighed. "You really shouldn't have left, you know," Mori suddenly spoke. I glared over at her. No, Mori… Don't do this!

Hiro sat up on the bench then and looked up at us. "Oh no… Is Kisa crying again…?" he asked, sounding sad. I turned to answer but Mori spoke first, unfortunately.

"No! She's pissed off at you! You acted like a spoiled brat in front of everyone and then ran away! How did you think she was going to feel?!" Mori shouted suddenly! What?! That wasn't true!

Hiro's eyes widened as his pupils shrank further! That… probably wasn't a good sign… "R…Really?" Hiro asked, sounding shocked and even sadder! Don't believe her, Hiro!

Mori wouldn't shut up, though… "Of course! You're so damn selfish all the time! Why is it always about your needs and wants?! What about Kisa?! Don't you love her?" she continued to shout. Where the hell did that come from?! That didn't even make sense! Was she just trying to inflict as much pain as she could?!

Hiro let out a stifled gag again and clutched at his head! Oh no! Mori leaned over to me suddenly and whispered, "I'll prove that Momiji was wrong…" My eyes bugged out and I stared at her in disbelief! Did she want to die that badly?!

"Kisa is very angry with you, Hiro. She was nice enough to ask for your permission, even though she doesn't need it, and you ran off in a childish huff. However, in her unending compassion and forgiveness, she told me to tell you that you had one more chance. All you have to do is go back and beg her for forgiveness and admit that you were immature, okay? If you do that, she just might speak with you again…" Mori blitzed lie after lie! What was she trying to do?! Prove something?! This wasn't going to help anyone!

Hiro suddenly shook violently and screamed out! Mori raised an eyebrow to him but I gulped. Not good! Not good! Then he stopped shaking and just went still, looking back up at us. Huh? I looked at him then and… something was off. His eyes I noticed… They were supposed to be dark brown, weren't they? Now they looked mostly black.

He slowly stood up then and I noticed his lips were moving. Listening carefully, I heard him muttering, "It's all… over… Why…? What did I do wrong…?" My eyes widened.

Mori must have heard it too. "That's easy… You were an immature brat. What did you expect?" she asked then!

I growled. "Mori… shut up!" I shouted at her. She glared over at me briefly… before water droplets started hitting our faces? Huh?

Both of us turned back to Hiro and probably widened our eyes at the same time! The water droplets were flying away from him somehow! A few even… floated in the air around him before… freezing into ice?! He started chuckling all of a sudden as dark black veins expanded along his cheeks and temples, going towards his eyes…

"Always… the jester… Why…? Everything's… freezing over and… so… cold…" he started muttering again, louder this time. I saw his breath visibly in the air! How was that possible?! It wasn't cold outside! But… it started to indeed feel colder. The cold was somehow coming from… Hiro, though? He started crying as he laughed then and the tears froze as they slid down his cheeks.

I was trembling there. This… wasn't logically possible! What… was going on?! "Wh…What's freezing, Hiro?" I weakly asked.

"Everything… is falling apart… and being buried in endless ice… Breaking… future… life… everything!" he screamed, exploding outwards in frozen raindrops in all directions!

I didn't even have time to raise my hands as the stinging pellets blitzed my entire body! Managing to close my eyes, I was simply flung backwards and landed in the road some ten feet back, feeling like my back was on fire!

Slowly sitting up then, I saw Mori do the same about three feet away… Ouch. Okay… what happened again? Both of us looked back over at Hiro, then.

He was standing there in a fairly relaxed pose with his head tilted to the right then, as if he had fallen asleep standing up. His eyes were open, however… I thought… They were entirely black, though! No irises… no pupils… Just darkness! Frozen spikes of thick ice protruded and curled from each side of his head, right above the temple? Massive chunks of ice also extended off his back like a giant pairs of wings. Three pairs in all. The top set was huge and extended behind him almost six feet, connected to the shoulder blades! The middle set was lower on his back, about midway down, and only extended about three feet. The lowest set was the smallest and just a little above his waist. They were about a foot and a half. Lastly, a long frozen vine-like appendage seemed to be attached to him as if a tail…

He was shaking there and giving a violent spasm every few seconds! The ground at his feet started to freeze as the ice crawled up his legs! They took the exact shape of his feet then without his shoes! The only difference is that a wicked claw extended from each toe.

After a few seconds, Hiro let out a cry of agony and clutched at his frozen horns! Black veins extended all over his skin and everything around them shifted to an ash white color until he was entirely white except the black lines…

Giving more whimpers of seemingly pain, I saw the ice from his horns freeze his hands over! The shape over his hands twisted violently into horrible looking claws as the ice at his feet expanded out four feet in an instant! The bench behind him made a weak groaning sound of twisting metal as it ripped out of the ground and drifted around Hiro?!

The bench stopped in front of him as he stared at it wildly, trembling still! Suddenly there was a horrible chorus of bending metal and the bench twisted itself violently and was crushed into a small ball! Why couldn't I move!? I wanted to run so badly but I was frozen there, only able to tremble! Mori seemed to be having the same issue and only gawked stupidly at Hiro…

Letting out a tremendous scream of pain and rage, Hiro suddenly ripped the hands from his horns! I closed my eyes as ice violently fell around us, only opening them when I stopped being sprayed. My eyes widened again to full extend once opened!

All the external ice on Hiro was gone… The twisted claws looked flesh-like now and were black as night! It looked like his arms and legs belongs to… something else. His arms were black from the elbow out and ended in scythe-like claws! His legs were black from the knees down and actual claws extended from each toe, shoes being mysteriously gone. But… each appendage was still proportional to his body, not horribly wide like the ice had looked. His tail was also black and irritably flicked back and forth every few seconds. The point looked sharp though and could probably hurt… His wings had also broken out of the ice! They were feathered!? The wings and feathers were also that absolute black, but it actually looked kind of regal and pretty… I guess… His eyes remained absolutely dark as he looked up at us. His horns had broken out of the ice to form ram horns! Then I noticed that the veins were gone now. Instead, black tattoos covered his entire body in a feral pattern across his ashen skin! Lastly, I noticed that his hair had also changed to black…

There was no expression on his face at all as he just stared at us… He looked at me first and then slowly shifted to Mori. After staring at Mori for a few seconds, he suddenly was gone! I blinked, and then registered movement to my left! I turned and gasped as I saw him standing right in front of a rigid and shaking Mori!

Then I blinked in confusion instead when he raised his right hand up and held it out to her? He… was going to help her up? Well… maybe he wasn't as evil and scary as I thought he was. Mori looked at if a few times before smiling shakily and reaching up for it.

It was faster than I could see… A massive mimicry of his hand extended off it and expanded vastly while extending! It smashed Mori through the edge of the hillside before crushing her into the chain link fence of the elementary school! I screamed then as I saw her eyes widen when she hit! The claw then let go and she slumped to the ground, not moving…

Finally finding my muscles, I got up and tried to scramble away! Hiro turned to look at me after pulling the frozen arm back into his own! No, I don't want to be next! I heard a sudden whooshing sound and turned to look… only to find him not there?! I looked back in the direction I was running just in time to see him land in front of me! I screamed and fell backwards, landing on my butt again… He could fly with those?!

Ice crystallized in his right hand and I shuddered, preparing for what was inevitable… The ice formed into a ball that extended downwards! The movement of it was almost… hypnotic as it extended. It finally finished when it was about as long as an odachi! My eyes then widened as the length of it flattened into an actual blade while the part he was holding shaped into a perfect handle! I was so dead…

He didn't move the sword after making it, however. He only stood there watching me. Come on! Just get it over with…

"You… seem to understand me, anyway," he suddenly spoke in a surprisingly clear and dual voice. One voice was the old Hiro… and the other was something far scarier!

He was… talking to me? "Uh… understand… you?" I asked weakly, wanting to just pass out and not deal with this…

He nodded then. "Yes. You know what I'd do for Kisa, after all… You understand why I'm like that," he explained. I tilted my head slightly. Wait… was this horrible situation fixable?!

I nodded rapidly. "Of course I understand why you're like that! You love Kisa and want to protect her…" I agreed, hoping I worded it right this time.

He let a faint smile dance across his lips then and he gave me a single nod. "Then you could probably tell me… Why is she… leaving me so soon, for so long, and postponing our wedding until she gets back?" he asked then, losing his smile. Oh crap… What to say…

"She really does love you, Hiro! Please believe that and don't…" I started to rapidly explain.

His expression turned into a glare at me then?! "Silence!" he screamed, whipping his blade up! I screamed again and fell to my right as I felt the earth tremble under me. Not bothering to look, I scrambled to my feet and ran towards the school fence and Mori! The whoosh sound hit again and I gasped, looking behind me finally. He was gone again… and a massive frozen gash was ripped in the concrete! Holy crap! The gash had expanded into the telephone pole and damaged the base?!

Gasping, I barely dived past the pole as it smashed into the ground right behind me! The transformer exploded when it hit, sending me flying to my right again! I rolled when I hit and curled into a little ball there, waiting for my world to stop moving…

Eventually, it looked like everything had stopped trying to kill me. My eyes opened… and a frozen odachi impaled the concrete an inch from my nose, cracking the ground! Yelping, I rolled backwards away from it and looked up at Hiro! He as standing on the telephone pole laying across the street. The area where he landed was frozen over, of course, and cracked from the impact of his clawed feet! He was still holding the blade of ice and slowly pulled the tip of it out of the concrete.

My body locked up again when he locked onto my eyes with those empty voids that were his! I couldn't even scream as he dropped off the now burning telephone pole and walked towards me, blade in hand. Ice expanded from every one of his footsteps as he walked, leaving a wake of frozen prints. As he strode within six feet, he raised the blade and I shuddered. Four feet… Three… This was it. I was going to die…

"Hiro!" was suddenly shouted from further down the street. I was still frozen by his eyes and didn't dare look away to see who it was, though!

"Hiro, stop this!" I heard shouted again, closer this time! Hiro stopped advancing at two feet and sighed, looking down the street. I risked a glance as well. Haru and Rin were running towards us! Could they really do anything to stop Hiro, though?!

Rin frowned as she came to a stop when Haru did, fifteen some feet away. "Hiro… put away the sword and calm down…" she spoke gently. I saw great concern and sadness in her eyes as she looked at him…

Haru nodded in agreement with her. "Yes. Kisa wishes to reconsider now and wants to talk with you more about it. Come back with us, Hiro…" Haru requested.

Hiro snorted. "Kisa hates me now and never wants to speak with me again…" Hiro shot back, glaring at him. They both got bewildered looks in their eyes and I gasped.

"No, Hiro! Mori was lying! Kisa didn't say anything like that! She cried a lot and said she wanted to talk to you more… but she never said she was angry!" I rapidly exclaimed. Hiro's eyes narrowed slightly and he glanced over at Mori on the hill. Rin followed his vision and gasped.

Hiro didn't do anything other than watch as Rin ran over to Mori and examined her. Haru ignored the scene and kept watching Hiro. "Why did Mori lie to me?" Hiro suddenly asked, assumedly me.

"She thinks Kisa suffers more than you do… That's all she sees, Hiro! Please… forgive her…" I pleaded. Hiro growled slightly but still didn't move. Was he listening now?! Could all of this still be fixed?

Hiro suddenly just snorted indignantly. "I don't know who to believe. You'd lie to me to save Mori. Mori would lie to me to defend Kisa. Kisa would lie to me if she thought the truth would hurt more. I just… can't make sense of it all anymore," Hiro suddenly reasoned. Haru frowned but Hiro just let go of the blade of ice. It drifted in the air briefly before falling into a giant puddle of water… Maybe I wouldn't die today after all?

Suddenly, Hiro lifted into the air… There was no flap of wings, though. He just drifted off the ground and was floating about ten feet in the air… "Hiro…" Haru spoke. If Hiro heard him, he ignored it. One flap of the six wings later and Hiro was gone…

It took me a few seconds to realize that I wasn't going to die anymore. I rapidly crawled over to Haru then. "I'm so sorry, Haru! Mori lied at Hiro and yelled at him for what he did! Then he… he…" I stuttered. He turned into a supernatural monster and tried to kill us? My head hurt thinking about it…

"What the hell did she do that for? Grr…" Haru groaned, glaring at Mori.

Rin stood up then and nodded. "She's still alive. Too many bruises to count and unconscious, but she'll live," Rin reported. Haru nodded and sighed before pulling out a cell phone. Rapidly dialing, he put the phone to the side of his face…

* * *

**Angel of Death**

* * *

Resting on the couch, I just sprawled there with my head propped up on one end of it and my hair hanging off the side. Some days, I just wished I hadn't been born… Failing that, a few thousand rocks could rain from the heavens at any point and blitz the crap out of me.

I could have worded that whole thing so much better! Why was I so stupid?! It probably hit him like a boulder to the face! Everyone went out looking for him, of course. It wasn't all that surprising that everyone was pissed at me for what I had done. Oh sure… show him lots and lots of love… and then I show him misery instead.

Who would find him first? What state would he be in? Why did this always happen to us?! I groaned irritably at myself. Maybe postponing the wedding was a bad idea. Yes Hiro, of course I love you with all of my heart. Oh, and I'm postponing our wedding. Yeah… I really threw that one in his face! Oh… but there won't be time for a honeymoon if we only have two weeks! And whose fault was that?! Who wanted to spontaneously go halfway around the planet two weeks after they graduated?!

I felt the tears pool up and slide down my cheeks again. "Kisa… This isn't your fault. We'll resolve this…" Sis suddenly spoke softly. She was on the other end of the couch I rested on.

"How is any of this not my fault? I threw the wedding in his face and then expected him to simply accept that?!" I sobbed.

Sis sighed. "Kisa… you would have had to tell him eventually. Sure, you could have timed it better, but this is still fixable," she reassured.

I shook my head sadly. "Maybe Mother was right… Maybe I shouldn't even go to college? Hiro has loved me with all of his heart since I was little. It's about time I returned the favor, really…" I whispered.

"Would Hiro really like to hear you say that? Do you think he wants you sacrificing yourself for him?" Sis asked.

I laughed. "That's the problem! If Hiro had his way, he'd sacrifice everything for my happiness! I… just can't seem to match that!" I exclaimed, utterly frustrated!

Tohru opened her mouth to speak again but the phone rang instead. I sat up instantly and watched as Sis walked off. A few seconds later, I heard her answer in the dining room.

"They found him first? What happened...?" I heard Sis ask. Huh? Who found him?!

There was a few more seconds delay before she asked, "What… do you mean by that?" I felt the blood drain out of my face. That didn't sound positive…

"He did what?!"Sis suddenly shouted. My eyes widened! Oh no… not good at all! What did he do?!

"Very well… I'll tell her. Keep looking and thanks for reporting in…" Sis finally spoke after almost a full minute of listening. I heard the phone hang up and waited…

Sis wandered in a few seconds later and nodded to me. "That was Haru. Your two friends found Hiro first," she informed. Mori and Inoue?! Oh dear… Mori seemed kind of angry at Hiro when she left…

Sis hesitated and I frowned. "Well… the one seemingly said something to Hiro to… upset him… and…" she tried to explain. I cringed.

"Well… Haru described the area as "Cataclysmic Destruction"… Inoue isn't hurt but Mori is fairly bruised up, but is going to be okay…" she finally finished. My heart made a dive into my stomach.

I shuddered slightly. "Hiro… attacked them?" I asked in disbelief. Sis just nodded weakly. I don't believe it… Why would Hiro…

Sis averted her eyes then and I narrowed mine. "What else? What happened to Hiro…?" I asked then, suspicious. Sis sighed.

"Well… Haru said he… changed… and escaped by… flying away…" Sis informed, still not looking at me. I blinked. What the…

"What do you mean… changed?" I asked, disturbed.

Tohru shrugged. "He didn't give me much description, really. He said that Hiro had… horns… claws… wings… and a tail… He described it as an "Angel of Death"… anyway…" she muttered, seemingly confused as well…

My head hurt suddenly so I lay back down. Why…? What was happening to Hiro?! Suddenly I missed him deeply and wanted to be out there looking for him too! I didn't care what he had become! I just wanted to be in his arms again…

* * *

**Empty and Dark**

* * *

There wasn't a lot that I was letting myself become aware of, at the moment. Cold… was one of the foremost feelings, really. I was extremely cold. It was not only physically, but emotionally as well. The cold was so extreme that a dull ache resided in all of my parts. It… hurt so badly that I simply lay there with my eyes closed. What… had I become?

I vaguely remember starting to channel… and this unstoppable sadness ripping through me… followed by pure rage. After that, everything disappeared in my memory for a little bit. The next time I awoke, I saw Mori being crushed against a chain link fence. I didn't stay for long though and everything was ice again shortly afterwards. The snow was so pretty in my mind…

Snapping out of it again, I realized that I was standing over Inoue with a blade of ice! Wait… why was I attacking Inoue? She was my friend… Then Haru showed up and tried to get me to go back with him… Yeah right. Inoue said that Mori was lying… but… I didn't know what to believe.

The only truth I know for sure is that Kisa told me herself that she was going to go away two weeks after graduation. That put our marriage on the backburner while she went to school on the other side of the planet. The thought scared me, really. Little to no Kisa for four years…

Sighing, I began to question things again. It seemed like every time things fell nicely into place after a shakeup, and I finally started to think that Kisa truly wished to be with me forever, something like this happened. How many times was this? It has to be more than coincidental… doesn't it? She's said so many times that she loves me but… then she does things like this. Again, I didn't know what to believe. Do I believe her words, or her actions? Do I believe Mori's words, or Inoue's?

My head hurt. "You think too much, Lamb…" I suddenly heard and sighed. "Nice form though, I'll admit…" it added after a few seconds. I frowned.

So… this voice must be… I doubted that I was insane at this point. Disturbed might be more passable, but I definitely wasn't insane. However, something definitely took over… or seriously tainted my actions. Based off what I looked like and the general will of the actions this entity took, I'd have to make an educated guess that it was the extremely pissed off spirit of the ram.

"Oh, you do have a brain. How surprising…" it complimented… kind of. Now… most of us didn't actually talk to our spirits… or even interact with them, so I'd have to say it was due to my accident. Something happened… either when I was shot directly, or when that bitch was playing around in my soul, and it unlocked something. "Very good. It was the accident, and your connection to Kisa, actually…" it informed. It had actually said something helpful? Interesting. So my connection with Kisa… if I guessed right… prevented me from actually dying there instead. Then I was pulled between life and death by Kisa and… basically tore something lose. Wait… That would mean that whoever that bitch was, she was actually an interloper. She was another… human that tried to… enlist my aid? "As far as I could tell. I didn't really come up with anymore data either. She was fun to play with, though. A pity you wouldn't let me eat her…" he replied. I sighed again.

At least I was finally at peace here, for the moment. Where was here, exactly? The only place I could think of where I wouldn't be ridiculed. Where I could be free of interaction and just… exist. It stripped away a layer of humanity, really. Everything was more simplistic when I didn't have to interact with people…

"Are you sure he's here, of all places?" I suddenly heard in a gruff, yet female voice. Huh?

"Oh yes. His waves are quite easy to pick up. He's spraying them everywhere in a rather chaotic fashion…" was the reply. Waves? Hana! Then the other girl must be Uo.

Uo laughed. "Wow… he must really be a mess. Although if he's hanging out in the graveyard, that doesn't seem all that unlikely. Maybe we can visit Kyoko while we're here, though…" Uo pondered. Kyoko? Where had I heard that name before?

"Now he's wondering who Kyoko is," Hana reported. Huh…? Wait…

I heard footsteps nearing the statue then. "Huh? What do you mean?" Uo asked. Hana… can pick up thoughts that float on the waves? Very impressive…

"And now he's impressed with my ability to read surface thoughts…" Hana added. I mentally chuckled.

Uo yelped then. "Wait… you mean he's close enough to hear us?! Can you figure out where he is?" Uo asked rapidly. She sounded slightly worried… Maybe she got the report about earlier.

My eyes slowly opened and I sighed again. The sky, while overcast, was still quite bright. Although I realized that my eyes were taking in a lot more light than I used to be able to… Everything was tinted slightly blue, as well. The only exception was living creatures, it seemed. Everything living was coated in a dark blue instead and I could pick that blue up through solid objects… What… was I?

Her arms were supporting my weight. The grip was firm, yet cold. My legs were draped over her left arm and my main wings over her right. My tail was wrapped a couple of times around my waist and I was playing with the tip of it. At first I thought it was an arrowhead, but it was really just a point. I guess I wasn't a classical demon, anyway… Well… if I was, I'd probably be sizzling by now.

"Hey, what's that up in the arms of the angel statue?!" Uo suddenly asked. I smiled. Very perceptive… but it wasn't an angel. It was a Seraph. A Seraph was an angel of the highest order in the medieval hierarchy, identifiable by the six wings protruding from its back, and set here as a guardian of the graveyard. It wasn't doing a very good job, though, as it had let me in. Appearance-wise, I might as well be its dark counterpart…

"I don't know… but it has the same waves as the one we're looking for," Hana informed.

Uo coughed abruptly. "You're shitting me! That's Hiro?! But… that thing has wings… and is in the process of freezing the statue!" Uo blatantly exclaimed.

I rotated my head then to look down at them. Uo's eyes widened as I looked at her. Hana just raised an eyebrow, though. Sighing, I rotated and fell off the statue. Dropping the two stories casually, I landed into a punch. Ice exploded out of my fist when I hit and the ground ruptured… Uo let out a yelp but Hana just stared blankly at me. Finally, someone who wasn't afraid of me!

Standing up then, I casually glanced at both of them. Uo looked up and down me with an extremely surprised expression before asking, "Um… what are you, exactly?" That's a very good question. You tell me and we'll accept it as that…

"He doesn't know…" Hana translated loosely, causing me to chuckle in twin voices.

Uo whistled then. "Haru actually wasn't joking when he said Angel of Death, then! Wow…" she exclaimed as she dug out her cell phone. Angel of Death? Interesting. Well it would be accurate for a description…

I glanced down at my hand, then. Black tattoo-like markings extended all the way up the arm and came to a feral, yet elegant swirl on my palm. It was obvious that I was channeling Ki to achieve this… form. The emptiness and cold was absolute, though, and I couldn't seem to stop. Would I have to… fill this emptiness somehow in order to stop channeling Ki and change back to the normal me? Was this actually the real me? I chuckled at the thought.

"No… it's not the real you. Don't worry…" I suddenly heard in my head… in a definite female voice this time. I glanced back at Hana but she was simply regarding me still while Uo talked.

"Yeah, we found him. Hana's better than a GPS sometimes!" she exclaimed then. She really was…

After a few more seconds delay, Uo nodded. "Yeah… he looks a little different now. Kind of beautiful in an unearthly way… Black wings, tail, and claws… White skin… Black tattoos… He's a walking negative," she described. Wow… What a poetic way to put it. Very flattering, too.

"Wait… she what? Kisa wants to talk to him? Okay…" Uo suddenly spoke before extending the phone to me. My eyes widened. No… I was… ugly, not beautiful. My voice was… inhuman now and I knew Kisa wouldn't like it.

Hana looked over at Uo after a few seconds. "He doesn't want to speak with Kisa because he is afraid that she won't accept what he's become and will find his voice disgusting," she translated then. I sighed and glared at her, which she ignored, of course.

"Hear that, Tohru?" Uo asked into the receiver. She nodded a few more times after that before looking back at me again. "Kisa says she doesn't care what you've become and that she'll always find you attractive just because you're you. She also really wants to talk to you…" she informed. My eyes widened… Looking back up at Uo, I saw her smile warmly and extend the phone to me again.

Shaking my head, I waved slightly to her as I drifted into the air. "Hey, brat! Get back here!" she shouted, irritated again. I chuckled once more before flapping my wings and launching myself to the horizon! I didn't really use my wings to fly… but they could be used to gain incredible speed and control my flight easier…

For a while, I just glided, however. I was… warmer. Just a little… Mori was… lying then. Kisa really wanted to talk to me… so…

Dipping down low again, I slipped into the forest as I went along. I didn't want anyone to see me… so this was probably the best bet. I was just glad that Shigure's house was right on the border of the woods!

Extending my senses, things slowed down even more as my processing speed increased. I sighed contently and slipped in-between the trees as I sped along. The tail and wings… seemed almost like extensions of my body! I'd so rapidly gotten adjusted to them that they seemed natural, now…

Picking a tree near the edge of the property, I slid sideways then and went into the tree feet first! The tree shook violently and my claws dug half an inch in from the impact, but I clung to the side of the tree…

The house was barely forty feet off at this point and I simply observed it. Though the side window, I could see Kisa on the couch with Tohru. Tohru was just playing with her hair and looked extremely sad. Kisa was crying, though? Maybe… Inoue was telling the truth, then. Things were pointing to that being true.

Something stirred inside of me. It had been a while since I felt anything beyond the cold, pain, and hate, though, so I almost didn't feel it! I frowned and felt my heart. Lifting my shirt up, I saw that all of the tattoo-like markings seemed to draw into a focal point around that area. I let my shirt fall again and sighed.

Feeling deep inside of myself… I felt out the feeling. It was small and not easy to find, but eventually it surfaced slightly. An urge… a craving… My eyes opened again to stare at Kisa. After everything, I still wanted to hold her. She was… crying. Crying because she wanted to talk to me and couldn't? Crying because of everything that happened?

I shuddered, then. In a perfect world, none of this would have had to happen. Kisa crying would never become a reality… I wished that just once, I could make her world perfect… but… I doubled up on the side of the tree. This kind of thing always happens! If blood and tears were the cost of happiness, I think Kisa and I could at least afford a vacation! But… always misery… Aching again, I let out a long wail of frustration into the night! The cold was absolute and seemed to freeze my soul…

Kisa and Tohru both started on the couch and looked around. "What was that, Sis?" I heard Kisa suddenly ask. I could… hear them too?

"I… don't know. Maybe it was a plane going over…" Tohru reasoned. A plane? I groaned sadly…

Kisa shook her head. "That… didn't sound like any plane I'd ever heard. The starting and stopping of it was too abrupt, too…" she countered. Good girl. Don't let Tohru's thickheaded logic rub off on you!

Tohru frowned. "Well I don't hear it anymore, so whatever it was is probably gone now anyway…" she presumed incorrectly.

Kisa shuddered, before replying softly, "I guess… I'd still feel better if we weren't the only ones in the house."

"Everyone is still out looking for Hiro, so we'll just have to make do for now and hope for some good news soon, that's all. He'll come around, don't worry…" Tohru reassured. Everyone was out looking for me? I sighed again. I always caused trouble for everyone… Even if Mori was lying about Kisa saying those things didn't automatically make them false.

Kisa nodded absently. "I was just saying… Still, I wish Hiro was here. Then I could just crawl into his lap and drift asleep again, trouble free…" she muttered. My eyes widened. Inoue was definitely telling the truth! I smiled at her slightly as I felt that urge return. Some part of me… still wanted to hold Kisa, even though I didn't think I deserved it.

Frowning, I reached behind me and touched my finger against one of the feathers on my right wing. The feather came loose in and instant as directed by my will, and floated around to my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another feather stem almost instantly extend down and spread out into a full feather…

Staring at the feather, I suddenly got an idea and smiled…

Looking to the right of the window, I saw the side door that exited to the porch and smiled. With another flap, I landed on the porch right outside of the door and knocked three times. The second my knuckle sounded the third knock, I burst with Ki and was gone back into the forest again in a second to watch from the treetops.

Tohru jumped again and looked back at the side door. Kisa frowned slightly but stood up when Tohru did. "That's probably one of the boys returning. Maybe they have good news?" Tohru reasoned. Yes… one of the boys had returned and wanted to talk…

I heard a chuckle in my mind then as I watched them walk out of the room and head down the hall, blue shapes still visible. "You're certainly a treacherous one, little lamb. I think I can respect you after all…" my zodiac commended. I smiled and nodded. This must be the first time he's had full access to my senses as well. I mentally felt a nod, then.

Kisa frowned suddenly as they came back into view through the glass of the external door. "Wait a second… Why would the boys knock? And use the side door for that matter?" Kisa questioned hesitantly, seeming to creep herself out.

Tohru rested her hand on the door then while her eyes stared off into the night. Humans didn't have very good eyesight at night, so she probably couldn't see me. Ah well. Then I stopped myself. I was… still human, wasn't I? "There… doesn't seem to be anyone here…" Tohru muttered after a few more seconds. I saw her gulp…

Kisa frowned then. My eyes widened as she stepped past Tohru and opened the door herself! She peeked out into the night before stepping out onto the deck and looking to the sides. Brave Kisa… Could you be… a little more brave? I sighed then, and it came out as an inhuman wind… I certainly wasn't brave enough, anyway.

Both girls jumped and looked off into the forest. "Kisa… come back inside where it's warm. I… don't think it's a good idea to…" Tohru started to mutter weakly. Putting my plan into action, I whipped the feather out into the air. It slowed and started to fall almost directly over the deck…

Kisa's trained eyes snapped to the feather instantly as it drifted downwards in a lazy swaying motion. Stepping forward more, she reached off the side of the deck and snatched the feather as it went past. Tohru frowned and stared at the feather Kisa was holding. It was considerably bigger than most birds and as black as the night I hid in.

"It's cold…" Kisa suddenly muttered. Tohru raised an eyebrow to her as Kisa frowned suddenly. "…still…" she added, seemingly coming to the conclusion I wanted. Kisa suddenly ducked under the railing and dropped off the side of the deck! She fell the seven feet to the ground and landed into an easy crouch before standing again. Tohru let go of the door and rushed to the railing…

"Kisa? What are you doing? Don't go wandering outside at night! You don't even have shoes on…" Tohru protested down at her. Kisa didn't look back up then but instead stared off into the forest.

After a few seconds, she shook her head. "I can't. Hiro's out there. I'm going to go to him, of course," she stated in an undeniable way.

Tohru's eyes widened. "But Hiro might be dangerous! You shouldn't go out into the forest and…" she started. Kisa cut her off with a snort.

"Of course Hiro's dangerous. He's a black belt with supernatural powers. Do you think it would be any less dangerous if one of the boys brought him back inside the house?" she asked in return, causing me to smile. Good girl…

Tohru frowned. "Look… at least put on some sandals… and your jacket! It's cold out there… In fact, I'll come with you, okay?!" Tohru offered. No… not… her too…

Kisa looked back up at her. "No, Sis. You need to stay here in case anyone calls. I… need to do this by myself," she informed before turning back to the forest and walking straight for it. Kisa was so brave sometimes… yet she would never see that herself. Tohru seemed stuck in decision on the deck, but Kisa was a ways into the forest past me already.

Following Kisa's blue glow, I darted from tree to tree after her, remaining absolutely silent. Kisa just walked straight forward without the slightest hesitation. She was being… so brave. Walking quite a ways into the forest, Kisa finally stopped and looked around. The house was nowhere to be seen now. I sighed again. This was hardly fair for just her to be the brave one…

Kisa stopped moving entirely when she heard the split sigh move through the trees like a breeze. In less than a second, I had landed quietly behind her. I took a step forward then and draped my arms over her shoulders…

She stiffened briefly but rapidly relaxed again. "I knew you were out here, Hiro… You're cold again…" she commented as she rested her head against my right arm, still not turning.

"I know…" I whispered back. My voice still split though. Kisa's eyes widened and she started to turn! I was gone and into the treetops long before she could turn fully. She just stared at where I had been for a few seconds before holding up my feather again.

"Your feathers are even prettier in the moonlight, Hiro…" she commented before walking on in her prior direction. Pretty?! My eyes widened as I watched her… That gave me… some hope, anyway.

Flitting along the treetops, I continued to follow her. She was headed towards the stream it would seem. She entered a large clearing then and walked towards the rocky formation that was partially extended over the stream. I watched her carefully from the trees as she walked up the formation and sat down on the tip of it.

She just stared up at the sky then, as a thunderclap went off. Suddenly a lazy rain started to fall. If Kisa noticed the rain, she didn't do much about it… "Could you… sit behind me, Hiro? I won't look…" she suddenly requested. I felt warmer…

In an instant, I stood behind her on the rock formation. Slowly walking forward then, I sat down cross legged behind her. Reaching forward then, I ran a knuckle gently down her back so she knew I was here, careful to avoid clawing her. Kisa almost purred as she pushed into my knuckle! Then she moved backwards…

I went rigid but forced myself not to move! She sat down in my lap then and just rested the back of her head against my chest. She didn't attempt to see me, though… Sighing, I put my arms over her shoulders again. I could see her start to smile then. In response, she wrapped her arms over my hands and rested her head against my right arm again. Time slipped away as we sat like that.

After what seemed like eternities, Kisa nuzzled my arm, shifting slightly. We were utterly soaked by then, with Kisa's long bangs dripping already and sticking to her skin, but neither of us really cared. "Why… can't I look at you, Hiro?" she suddenly asked. I sighed.

"I'm… not the prettiest sight, Kisa. You wouldn't want to… see me like this…" I muttered, hating my voice again.

Kisa shook her head. "That's hardly fair, Hiro. You should let me make that decision. If you're anything like your feathers, anyway, you'll be beautiful…" she replied gently, causing me to heat up again. I couldn't tell if it was the channeling losing its force or me blushing, though… "I like your voice too. The old Hiro is still there, but something deeper is there too. It's kind of hot…" she added in a playful tone. Okay… definitely a blush, this time.

"Ooh… Your mate thinks my voice is hot," I suddenly heard it my head. Ug… Sometimes I wished I could just turn him off. That earned a dark chuckle…

Suddenly I thought I knew what Kyo was talking about. What it's like to have another you that nobody liked and then be so shocked when it seemed like someone was going to accept it…

Lifting her off my lap then, I set her down in front of me before sliding back a little. "Please don't go, Hiro…" Kisa suddenly pleaded, not moving.

"I'm not going anywhere, Kisa…" I replied softly.

Kisa smiled and nodded. "G…Good, I don't want to lose you again…" she added. My eyes widened and more heat came back. It was… in my heart. I definitely felt some of that emptiness starting to ebb away.

"You won't lose me… unless you don't want me…" I informed, it coming out slightly sadder than I wanted.

Kisa's eyes widened then. "No, Hiro! I don't want you to go away! I'm so sorry about earlier! I… I won't go to college! I'll stay home with you instead and…" she started to rapidly apologize and declare!

My eyes widened and my rapidly screamed "No!" echoed through the entire forest as my anger spiked. Kisa froze up again and I saw her starting to shake slightly… Then it all fell into place. Kyo was right. It doesn't mean anything if someone just says they like you and that you're beautiful. They might be lying or forcing themselves to not see all of you. But once a person sees your ugly side and admits that they don't like it as much as your good side, you can tell that they're actually seeing you and still like you! Smiling then, I finally saw the wonderful girl in front of me. She was just like me. Trying so hard and willing to do anything to make the person she loved happy…

"No Kisa… I'm not going to restrict you in any way. Not only do you have my permission that you didn't need in the first place, but you have my full support. Go to the college you want, whenever and wherever it might be…" I told her then.

Kisa stopped shaking then and seemed to calm down. "Postponing our wedding wasn't fair of me, though. Neither was breaking my promise and deciding to leave two weeks after school! Plus, I didn't even bother to tell you about any of it. Adding that to the fact that the school is halfway around the planet and what I did was just downright cruel. You… deserve so much more, Hiro. It feels like I've abandoned you and you probably feel the same way…" she explained, looking down at the flowing water again.

"I'm not going to slow you down, Kisa. Our wedding can wait for as long as it needs to for you to be ready for it…" I returned gently. I saw her grip tighten on the rock and knew she was beating herself up again on the inside. I sighed… "And… you can look if you want… but… you might not like what you see…" I finally told her. Might as well get this over with…

Kisa suddenly snapped out of it and looked over her shoulder. I fought every urge to flee into the trees again as she slowly turned around to look at me. Suddenly I felt exposed and wanted to hide… Kisa's eyes widened at first in obvious surprise but she rapidly started to smile softly again. "W…Well?" I asked after almost thirty seconds of her scanning every part of me.

Kisa tilted her head before answering, "Well… I don't like the eyes. They're painful to look at… and the claws are a little scary… but other than that, you're very pretty in a feral and archaic way. I love the wings and tail. They give you a noble look… The horns just remind me that you're the ram, though… and the tattoos add to the feral appearance with their clash on your white skin." I blinked. Her analysis was extremely thorough and a lot more positive than what I was expecting! Kisa laughed when she saw my stunned look.

She then started to crawl towards me, staring into my eyes the entire time. How could she stand to look at them for that long? My eyes widened again, and she crawled into my lap and wrapped her legs around my stomach. She then nuzzled my jaw before wrapping her arms around my neck. I couldn't help myself and I wrapped mine around her back, pulling her closer. Kisa moaned lightly, seemingly happy again… She then tentatively reached up and slowly ran a hand along my upper left wing! I winced slightly but it was mostly a fear reaction. I didn't like my wings being touched because they were really sensitive. Kisa wouldn't hurt them, I knew, so I let her rub away…

Pretty soon I realized that it had started to feel good. She noticed of course and that only seemed to encourage her. Finally I sighed and folded all of my wings inwards, entirely covering Kisa in a black feathered blanket. She grinned at me and snuggled further into my lap. She was so warm! I couldn't seem to get enough contact with her and tucked my face into her neck, earning another moan.

"Sorry… It's just that you're so warm…" I replied sheepishly, blushing again.

Kisa never lost her smile, though. "Don't worry about it, silly. Use me to warm up if you want…" she purred back. I blushed more but definitely felt warmer! The channeling seemed to be magnifying my embarrassment as well, though…

Kisa snickered at my blush and suddenly leaned forward! I was glad that I didn't have sharp teeth! Her mouth pressed into mine gently at first, before she pulled me closer to her. My eyes slowly closed as I felt her mouth against mine. She brushed tentatively before opening her mouth partially. Then it snapped… All of that emptiness imploded at the same time and I couldn't get enough!

Kisa's eyes widened as I hungrily attacked her mouth! The heat was incredible suddenly… Kisa let out a stifled groan into my mouth as she wrapped her arms around my neck again and pulled me tighter against her. We were practically crushing into each other as we kissed! The heat was so intense that I almost thought we were on fire…

Suddenly, I realized that I was… warm again! My eyes opened and I backed off Kisa again. There was a tempest of black feathers drifting about us! I blinked a couple times and looked down at my arm. It was skin colored and absent of black markings. Smiling, I looked down at Kisa to see if she noticed. It was a terribly amusing sight… Kisa still had her eyes closed and her mouth partially opened. She made a light purring noise and slumped against my left shoulder then, nuzzling and placing kisses along my neck. She must have… enjoyed that type of kissing?

I ran my hand along her cheek and she smiled more. "Mm… You're warm again, Hiro…" she muttered then, giggling. I smiled and just waited…

Four seconds was really all it took. Her eyes shot open and she backed off, getting a good look at my face. I felt back to normal and the blue was gone from my vision's tint. Kisa started absolutely beaming a split second later! "Hiro! You're back to normal!" she exclaimed!

I barely got the nod off before she pounced into me, sending us both backwards off the rock! Hitting the ground into a roll, we collapsed into a laughing heap upon coming to a stop…

We must have stayed there for almost ten minutes. Kisa's gentle and slow kisses were just so irresistible! Afterwards, Kisa just rotated around until we were both staring up at the sky, my arms wrapped around her stomach.

"Hiro… just tell me when you get sad again. I can never seem to tell and… I want to be there for you when you need me," Kisa finally spoke, soft and somewhat guilty sounding.

I gave her a squeeze before replying, "I'm sorry about today. I was just… a little overwhelmed and had to escape for a while, that's all."

Kisa rotated around on me again then and frowned downwards before nodding. "My mother thinks it's a great idea of course… and I'm definitely excited about it… but it wasn't fair to you at all! I should have at least asked you about it before just applying!" she exclaimed, seeming sad.

"I'm not your mother, Kisa. You don't have to consult me on every decision you make if you don't want to," I reminded, brushing her cheek again.

She giggled and shook her head though. At least she was smiling now. "This was kind of a big choice to not tell you about… but thank you, Hiro," she muttered. Suddenly she stood up and hauled me to my feet. I smiled at her as she nodded and walked back towards the stream, still refusing to let go of my hand.

We just sat there on the tip of the rock, watching the water calmly flow for a while. It was peaceful, really, and I didn't care what time it was or who was looking for us. Kisa didn't seem to care either, and it was just us, the clearing, and the stream. I could have existed for an eternity here and had absolutely no complaints! After a little while longer, Kisa snuggled into my side again and I noticed she was still barefoot. Silly girl…

Looking at the palm of my right hand then, I simply stared at it. The… transformation. It was the mental projection of my inner feelings. The looks, beyond the obvious utility purposes of the claws, tail, and wings, were mostly just side effects of my body entering an uncontrolled state of Ki channeling, if I had gathered correctly.

Focusing then, I felt deep inside myself. Yes… I could feel the state there still… but I didn't have the emotions powering it this time. With a bit more effort, I decided to attempt to draw it up manually. Maybe if I practiced turning into it without the mental breakdown to go with… I might be able to control it as well! Any amount of power I could muster to help protect Kisa was a good thing… and if this… organization posed a threat to her…

The swell of energy was unexpected and I felt it flow through my entire body instantly! It was like I was suddenly tapping a deep pool of strength that I never knew I had! My vision was tinted yellowish-gold suddenly and I blinked. Well… that was different! Glancing back down at my hand, I noticed that it was back to extremely pale, minus the markings this time. Huh…

My eyes suddenly locked onto the drifting white feathers that wafted by in front of me! Kisa gasped suddenly when she noticed them and looked back at me, startled expression on her face. Her eyes expanded several fold when she saw me… I felt the wings again and folded the right one around in front of my vision. The feathers were indeed a bright white… and seemed to be glowing! What… the…?

"Hiro, what happened?!" Kisa asked, obviously startled as she looked me over. I blinked and smiled then as the flood of emotion caught up with me. Totally different from before, pleasant feelings of happiness and contentment drifted through me instead. The moonlight glowed off every feather, giving them an extremely ethereal appearance.

Not answering, I just turned to look at her. Her skin seemed to glow in the moonlight. Her appearance just looked so soft that I had to smile more. Her mouth formed slowly into a smile while watching me, as her uncertainty disappeared. Her golden eyes were dancing with energy… She looked so alive that I just loved being next to her, suddenly!

Everything took a crisp feeling of focused emotions and feelings as I leaned forward and gently brushed against her mouth with mine. Her eyes softened and she wrapped her arms around my neck then, pulling me forwards and into her more. Releasing a light moan, I went with the flow and fell over with her. Tucking my wings in for the impact, we rolled down the rock and landed in the bed of leaves gathering at the bottom…

I didn't care! Mentally laughing after everything that happened today, there was only this moment. The cool breeze brushed over my skin, leaving slight tingling feelings along my arms as I held her against me. We were side by side then, under the moonlight with nothing else in the world. Just us.

After eternities passed, Kisa finally leaned back slightly, a flush still formed over her cheeks. She grinned after a few seconds and nuzzled into my neck softly, yet needing. "I love you, Hiro. I like this form so much more than the other, though…" she muttered gently. I smiled more.

Picking Kisa up suddenly, I stood up with her. After she wrapped her legs around my waist for support, I held onto her tightly and flapped… The flight ability was quite obviously still there as I shot forty feet into the air… We glided along the air currents then and back towards Shigure's house. Kisa didn't seem scared at all, and just continued to giggle against me.

She had total trust in me holding her up. I smiled down at her before gently flapping again, shooting above the clouds. Kisa gasped then as she was treated to a huge ocean of milky clouds and the massive moon glowing brightly in the sea of twinkling stars. I laughed again before remembering that if I went above the clouds, I wouldn't be able to see the house.

Reluctantly, we dipped back down after a few seconds and I let the breeze carry us towards Shigure's back yard, finally with peaceful thoughts in my mind… There would be a lot of explaining to do after this…

* * *

**Chapter 25 - End!**

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Author's Notes:

Hey, look, a non-dramatic ending! This has to be a record for me… Anyway, this ended on a happy note, and is going according to plan again. I apologize again for being SO LONG in the updating. Again, I did have several setbacks in my mood, which shut me down for quite a few weeks. Things are better now, and lots of changes are occurring. For one, I'm seriously considering publishing, now, and heavily researching it. Plus, I'm switching colleges and majors. No more computer science… Now I'm going for Creative Writing with a minor in Journalism! Fwee! Not only am I far happier with this future, but that also means I'll be writing more to keep myself sharp, so hopefully updates will come faster.

I've introduced the base of the supernatural elements now, so expect things to calm down for a little bit now. Hiro's new form is not entirely my doing, and was inspired largely by my cousin, although I heavily tweaked it. Her picture should still be linked to my profile page if I recall, and is of Hiro and Kisa around this time period in the fanfic… well… maybe a LITTLE into the future, still. Anyway, I rant… But I do hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and hopefully the next update will come fairly soon. Now that school's out, I'll have more time to type, although I plan on spending at least a little time on my original story.

Anyway, it gets late and I have to pack up my things still, so I shall say goodnight with this. I hope everyone enjoys these two chapters and the HAPPY ending for once… and I'll leave you with that until next time! Goodnight all, and stay happy and safe until next time!

-Angsty Tiger

**Individual Review Responses:**

**Arc Knight** - Heh… yeah, I dug that one pretty deep, but it was needed to set up the next arc… And I'm not sure what you'd deem worthy for getting shot in the stomach and almost killed on a repeating basis… but I think wings at least make up for it a little, right? That's one thing I've always wanted… but I risk going on a tangent. And this chapter DID end on a happy note. -snickers- The story should perk up for a while, anyway… but I have many… many tricks left. And yes, I thought the restraint was nice… Plus seeing as I randomly changed Hiro's element halfway through the last chapter, I wanted to make it a little easier for myself. Meh. Anyway, thank you for reviewing and I hope you like these two chapters as well!

**Lightningstrxu** - Heh… glad I can keep you surprised, anyway. Is that said in a good or bad way? -sticks out tongue-

**Zith** - Yeah… I felt kind of bad leaving Hinata out… but making her like that is something I wouldn't want to do. Ick… Although I'm happy that everyone seems attached to the point of getting pissed off at me, heh… But also to clarify, I'm ADDING the supernatural. Personally, I hate writing action scenes, to be truthful. When the action scene doesn't accomplish something plot-wise or emotion-wise, it feels stale to me. The last thing I need is a DBZ-like approach to this story… and apologies to any fans out there, but I just can't see this becoming like that. However, some action IS needed in this case… but don't expect this to become only that… if that makes sense. -chuckles- Thank you for your review however. I hope you enjoy these chapters as well!

**Beege** - Your insight is interesting, as usual. Sorry for the delay in these two, though. Hmm. Yeah, this is quite a bit of a difference… But I'm trying to shift a little away from the standard Furuba mold, anyway. It IS a good story with memorable characters, but everyone already knows it and I'd kind of like to expand this story into something that is unexpected and fresh, if that helps explain it. Who wants to read a story where the outcome is already known? It should be settling down for a little bit, if that makes you feel better. Thank you again for reviewing and I hope you enjoy these two as well!

**Anonymous** - I honestly don't know what to say. I did expect some people would have this reaction… Don't fear that I'll stray from my original fluffy content goal… but I'm going for slightly more mature mindsets, I guess would be a good way to call it. It IS more violent, yes, but only in regards to the situations they're expanding upon… so think of it as not additional magic… but different variations of the magic they already have. The curse is still causing it all… it's just been… expanded upon, would be a good way to explain it. And I should really read Ranma at some point. Everyone tells me it's good… And your last phrase makes me painfully aware of how long it's been since I updated… ug… Well I hope you enjoy these two and thank you again for reviewing.

**Neoswordmaster** - Thanks! I'm definitely considering it, now. Journalism seems like a good day job… but I'm definitely going to write on my own novels on the side. Thank you for reviewing though, and I hope you like these two chapters, too! And I'm glad they aren't dead, too… heh…

**Ninde-chan** - Aww! Thank you! And yes, I tend to use a lot of cliffhangers, but at least this one ended without a horrible, dramatic one… Nya! Things should get back to reasonably "normal" now for a little while, anyway. As normal as the Souma family can be, anyway… but thank you for reviewing and I hope you liked these two as well!

**Renia The Weirdo** - Heh… as hyper as ever, Renia. -sticks out tongue- Well I'm glad you're happy with the two chapters and thank you, as always, for reviewing. And I can HARDLY be mad at you for not reviewing very fast, as you certainly beat my average updating time… heh. Just don't get your Dad upset and lose your computer privileges again… -chuckles- Thanks again!

**Kamen Disguise** - Oooh, thanks! I like angst as well. It tends to bring out a more… realistic side of things. Subliminally influenced by my inability to understand and swallow the perpetually happy and hopeful kind of story? I don't know… Ah well, I rant. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you like these two chapters as well!


	26. Channeling

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**Chapter 26 – Channeling**

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There was a dull thud as her ankle contacted the padded brace on my left forearm. I continued to gently smile at her as she whipped around with her other leg and I parried a solid kick aimed for my stomach instead.

Each hit would cause a burst of powder, which would take to the air, visible only in the morning light coming in through the dojo roof. The only sounds were her ever gentle footsteps mixed with the rhythmic dipping of the bamboo fountains outside. The dojo was always so peaceful when we were alone here.

Kisa's breathing was light and she was still smiling as she kicked into the air, placing three more kicks into the side of my upraised arm. She was fast and she knew it, but her smile showed me that she wasn't serious still.

Raising my right hand too, I put my right fist against the open palm of my left and nodded to her. She took the indication and stopped attacking, instead dropping into a guard stance and nodding to me. "Really good warm up so far, Kisa. You're definitely getting a lot faster. Shall we try what I was talking about earlier now that you're warmed up?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow to her.

Kisa smiled then and nodded twice, seeming eager. "Of course, Hiro! If you say it will help me, then I'll do it," she responded. I laughed. She put so much faith in me... but a little part of me was proud of that deep inside somewhere.

"Okay then. Close your eyes and focus exactly how I told you earlier this morning. You should be able to feel it if you try hard enough," I explained again, taking a few steps backwards to give her room.

Kisa had insisted on speeding up her training sessions after the incident. She had explained it as not wanting to be so defenseless in a situation like that again, so that I wouldn't have to go to such extreme lengths to defend her anymore and get myself hurt. I think it had something to do with college now, too. Before the incident on the street, Kisa used to get really excited every time college was brought up. She'd talk faster and start mentioning how much fun it would be... but now...

Kisa's eyes closed gently and she relaxed, losing her smile now. Instead, smiling myself, I focused on the same... feeling inside me. It was still there after all. Memories started to come back slowly. The forest beneath me... The cold night sky... Kisa by the river... I felt a slight pulse as I ignored all of it. Focusing further... there! The statue flooded into my memory and my eyes widened, losing my smile again.

The memory was shaky in how I got there but... the statue was memorized in perfect detail. It came together slowly in my mind and I understood its significance. It was a simple thought now as to why I picked that statue out of all of them. Slowly, the statue changed in my mind. Arms lengthening... Head twisting... The scarred face twisting into a terrible visage as the horns shattered out of the side of its head...

Suppressing the urge to throw up, I managed to only shudder violently instead as the face "looked" directly at me, eyes glowing a dark, freezing blue. I had to... control this somehow! Otherwise I was no different from... that monster!

Sweating now, I shook away the vision and forced the feeling up into my eyes instead. My vision swam for several seconds before clearing again. I'd only tried this once or twice before due to the unpleasant nature of the ordeal. My eyes snapped into focus and the world shifted several times more monotone. Not all color was lost, but things looked much colder, with an underlying shade of blue omnisciently present.

Looking back at Kisa, I noticed that I could see a faint aura around her. Her energy from her body. After staring for several seconds, her veins and arteries became apparent, along with her blood flow. I focused harder and noticed that I could see my breath in the air, my body temperature now contrasting with the warm dojo. No, I couldn't let it distract me any further than noting it or I'd lose control.

Then it snapped into focus. I smiled as her energy flow was visible inside of her body. As she started to frown now, I noticed that her energy flow was actually changing. She was focusing it into the core of her body, like I instructed. Good girl...

I just watched her as I let my energy recover. Changing only a part of myself into... that thing took a lot of my willpower. Touching my consciousness against that beast probably didn't help much, either. Everyone was wrong about Kyo, I now see. It's not him. We're all monsters on the inside. But I guess that's why they call it a curse... Were the spirits of the zodiac really like this?

Thinking back on it, everyone was rather shell shocked at what had happened. Still, it had went better than I had anticipated. That was a long night regardless, and I thought back to it while waiting for Kisa to focus herself...

* * *

**Moonlit Redemption**

* * *

The yard below us was dimly illuminated by the full moon adrift above. With two gentle flaps, I landed softly on the grass, white feathers drifting about from my wings. Kisa smiled gently at me from my arms as I set her down. I noticed the tingling sensation as she left my arms, and the weight my body suddenly seemed to contain.

Giving out a sigh, there was a light pulse of white from my back and a few rogue feathers drifted past my line of vision. Looking back, I noticed the wings had dispersed, leaving a ghost feeling of where they used to be. My mind remembered the muscles it needed to summon to make them flap, but the wings were no longer there, leaving my mind to strive against nothingness.

The fatigue of the night suddenly caught back up with me and I felt drained. The energy the prior state had given me was suddenly taken away just as quickly... Kisa gave a quiet yelp as I suddenly fell past her, landing on my knees in the grass. My hands extended and I caught myself...

"Hiro..." suddenly sounded in a soft whisper. I shuddered inside and looked up, past Kisa kneeling next to me, and up onto the rail of the porch. Tohru stood there, hands resting on the rail, but not leaning on it. Her eyes were big, but soft. She looked... sad, and I had to look away. Damn her. What was her... When she stared at you... it always brought about feelings. Unfortunately, it was always feelings of inadequacy with me.

Kisa grabbed my right arm and shoulder, helping me to my feet. "Hiro, that must have been a drain on you. Be careful, okay...?" she asked... no, reminded. I'd already known it, somewhere inside. That... thing fed on my energy when I used it.

Tohru frowned and followed our path with her eyes as we went to the side of the deck and up the stairs, Kisa still helping me along. Regardless of how it turned out... this was still all my fault. Others wouldn't be as forgiving as Kisa... or as pitying as Tohru.

"Are you alright, Hiro? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?" Tohru asked, seemingly consciously avoiding the main issue at hand.

Kisa smiled at her as we walked past and inside the main room. The main room was darkened, with the main source of light coming from the hallway leading past Shigure's den and to the living room. It seemed gloomy, but maybe it was just my dwindling mindset and dread of facing the others. "Yeah... I'm not... injured or anything. Um... how are Mori and Inoue?" I asked weakly, suddenly remembering something... bad happening with them.

Tohru frowned. "Well... they were taken to Hatori's office... Mori was a little scratched up and Inoue just... needed to calm down a little but they..." she started, seeming to lighten up a little... at least to her scatterbrained self again, anyway.

"What did they say to you?" Kisa suddenly asked, frowning. She looked... mad?

Tohru shook her head rapidly. "Does it really matter, Kisa? I mean... what happened is already done. It doesn't.... make sense to dwell on the past, right?" she rapidly reasoned, seeming flustered.

I frowned. In all honesty, I couldn't... quite remember what they said. It hurt my head to think about it... Then a dark chuckle followed. "You should have just let me kill them, Lamb..." was whispered inside my head. My right temple gave a throb and I massaged it, wincing slightly.

"Of course it matters! They said something that caused all this! I want to know what it was..." Kisa growled, looking up at Tohru.

A... pressure was building in my head again, causing both temples to throb now. "No! She's pissed off...!" echoed out in my head then. Wh...what? "You're so damn selfish all the time!" hit, harder instead. I groaned and slumped, holding my head again. Damn it! Get out of my head!

"Hiro... are you okay?" Tohru suddenly asked, sounding concerned. Kisa frowned and caught me as my hand slipped past the counter and I fell slightly.

"You were an immature brat..." echoed in my head instead of my formulated response. Mori's... voice. I didn't understand. My head gave a huge throb suddenly and my vision blurred. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on something else. What was... wrong with me?!

I felt Kisa help me stand up straight again. My head cleared a little, and I heard her say, "Oh! Yuki! Ky..."

My eyes opened to a fist colliding with my cheek! My world went sideways suddenly as my feet left the ground... Unfortunately, I'm not a kid anymore. Weighing slightly more now, landing hurts a lot more too, especially from a dead drop. Kisa and Tohru both yelped as I crashed into the floor against the wall, seeing stars...

"Dumbass! Going and just running away like that! What the hell were you thinking?!" was shouted in an ear splitting voice that could only belong to Kyo. Feeling the fist impression on my cheek, I deduced that it must have been him that hit me, as well. Yuki uses palms... and I probably wouldn't be conscious...

An irritated sigh sounded from the same direction, followed by, "Stupid furball... Violence isn't always needed, you know." It was in a much quieter, Yuki voice.

"Hiro!" Kisa exclaimed, running over to where I was just sitting up. Ow... damn.

Focusing my eyes, I could see Tohru freaking out where she was standing, looking back and forth between Kyo and I. I sighed again and looked at Kyo, glaring at me. Yuki suddenly smashed him into the wall to the left again with one hand and walked past calmly. "He does have a point though. It's better to talk about the issue rather than run away..." he added, leaning down and offering a hand to help me up. Somehow his words hurt more than Kyo's fist...

Rolling to the right, I stood up by myself and stared at the wall instead of them. They... didn't understand. Yes, this was all my fault... but... "I... know that, Yuki. I..." What could I say? There was no way to tell them what... had happened without them thinking I was just insane. The extremely aggressive spirit of my zodiac animal was talking to me in my head and telling me to kill things? Yeah... that worked so well.

Yuki smiled however and nodded, standing up straight again. He then looked at Kisa instead? "And you, young lady... You really must learn to time things better. I imagine you've talked it over more with him now?" he asked gently. Kisa looked down from him as well, but nodded slowly.

I snorted. "You know she barely did anything... so just hit me if you're angry still," I fired off, glaring at Yuki instead. I hated to see Kisa look sad like that, and she really looked up to Yuki so that made it much, much worse.

Yuki chuckled. "I'm not yelling at her, Hiro. I'm not even angry, so no need to bristle up," he commented, snickering and patting my head as he walked past. I felt like growling at him but I bit my tongue.

Kyo groaned and stumbled out of the heap he made when he hit the wall. "Damn you, Rat! What the hell did I do?!" he shouted back at Yuki.

"You were being too loud!" Yuki called back, seemingly not bothering to stop while progressing towards the living room. Tohru looked utterly confused as she called out Kyo's name and chased after.

I shook my head and sighed. Those two never quit. "Well... that went better than anticipated." I commented, glancing back at Kisa... who still looked gloomy. She raised her head up and nodded, attempting a smile. I brushed her left bang gently out of the way before pecking her forehead. "It's okay, Kisa... Everything can only improve from here," I assured. Looking back at how pissed off Kisa's mother was, I'm not so sure...

* * *

**The Tiger's Strength**

* * *

Oops! Snapping back to reality, I noticed the control over my vision had slipped. I had backed off several layers of intensity and was now just seeing through the thin layer of her shirt. Blushing, partially from my own thoughts over the matter, I rapidly shook my head and snapped my vision back to full strength. Her focus was almost complete... now she just had to...

Kisa's eyes slowly opened. I smiled at the sight of the brilliant golden glow emanating from her already gold pupils. She gasped as she looked around, but focused harder. The irises first shrank, then expanded upwards and elongated... into flawless looking cat eyes as she looked back to me. I nodded and smiled at her, drawing forth her own gentle grin.

"Awesome, Kisa. Using this technique, you should be able to channel your spirits energy into you. This will help you defend yourself much easier!" I exclaimed, not losing the smile. In truth, I was proud of her, even if I wouldn't admit it.

Kisa's nod was an extremely happy one... and extremely short as she stopped nodding and widened her eyes. I was confused at first until a deep crimson flush came over her cheeks and she rapidly looked away from me. "AH! Hiro, why can I.... uh..." she started stuttering.

I broke into laughter. "See through my clothing? You can actually see into my body if you focus harder... and I don't know why we can..." I explained upon regaining my composure.

Kisa was laughing by now as well and shook her head. "Haha! Silly! I couldn't see through your clothing. Where'd you get that idea? Were you checking me out with some power I don't know about?" she asked, grinning back at me. Her sudden bold question totally caught me off guard and I blushed again.

"No! I... just accidentally did... a few times..." I admitted, looking away from her. Wait... she can't see through organics? Then why did she... She snickered then... and was suddenly gone?! Wait... no! She was just...

Barely bringing my arms up in time, I was suddenly sent hurtling backwards with a feral Kisa clinging to my chest! Fast! Dust blew up, along with the telltale low thud and dragging sound as we hit the dojo floor and slid. Not having time to respond, I just widened my eyes further as she started kissing me!

After the initial surprise lessened and I smiled into her kiss, finally returning it... until...

"Hey now! There are other places to do that, you know..." called out in a teasing, laughing tone. Kisa looked up, breaking our kiss. Not being in a good position to do so myself, I just turn my head to the right and looked that direction to the best of my stretching... Kazuma was walking up, smiling at us, albeit sideways to me.

His eyes widened slightly as Kisa looked up, but she didn't seem to notice and smiled anyway, hopping off of me... in an extremely fast manner. "Kisa..." I mentally groaned. Her eyes were still changed! And her speed indicated she was OBVIOUSLY still channeling...

"Kisa... your eyes. What's going on?" Kazuma asked, frowning. Said subjects of his inquiry widened, then shut rapidly. She opened them a split second later and they were back to normal.

"What do you mean, Master Kazuma?" she asked so politely and cutely that I had to smile as I crawled to my feet. Ow... my back hurt... for obvious reasons.

Kazuma raised an eyebrow, then shook his head after she didn't stop smiling. "So be it. I'll have Hiro tell me later, I guess. I only wanted to point out that it's almost time for school. You two had better get going."

Both of us yelped at the same time and rushed for the changing rooms. Kisa beat me by mere feet and I grinned at her as I grabbed her shoulder to pull her back. She laughed and spun to attempt to dislodge my hand, but only succeeded in yanking me forward and getting us both stuck in the doorway at the same time! Slipping sideways, I managed to fall into the room as she fell backwards, hooking her foot around the door knob as she went, pulling the door shut on us to the sounds of Kazuma's laughter over our show.

"Smooth one, Kisa..." I teased as she landed on top of me in the pitch dark. She started laughing more and I got smacked in the face with her martial belt! That's it! Rolling with her, I pounced her to the floor and started tickling her relentlessly in the dark. She burst into uncontrollable laughter and squirmed to and fro under me, shaking. After several seconds of this, she decided to attempt to escape by crawling forward and trying to get out from under me. I grabbed at her shoulder to attempt to stop her and...

OUCH! My back gave a tremendous spasm of pain and I winced, letting her go instantly and sharply sucking in my breath! She stopped struggling the instant my reaction changed and turned around again. "Hiro! Are you okay?! What happened?" she asked, sounding concerned. I was a little concerned myself at this point...

Standing up, I hit the light switch and turned my back to the mirror. My eyes widened at the long streaks of red that was soaking into the back of my training shirt! Kisa's eyes bugged out too, and she immediately stripped the shirt off me and looked at my back. Ten cuts in count, each about three inches long? How the hell?!

"What happened? How did you get... cut like this?! It looks like..." she started, then frowned and looked down at her hands? Oh... that's interesting. She had grabbed me when she pounced but....

Frowning, I looked back down at my shirt on the floor. No cuts? The shirt wasn't damaged but my skin was? That's a weird... ability, Kisa... "I think it has something to do with you channeling when you pounced on me, Kisa. Maybe your tiger gives you some type of natural defense in the form of claws?" I speculated, looking back at her and immediately wishing I hadn't. Her eyes were already getting watery as she suddenly hugged me!

"I'm so sorry, Hiro! I didn't know I had them and...!" she started apologizing before I shook my head and cut her off.

"I know that, Kisa. Don't worry. The cuts aren't that deep so you didn't hurt me that badly. It's better that we figure out what you're capable of NOW anyway, rather than later when it's more dangerous," I tried to comfort. Kisa sighed but didn't let go of me.

But that didn't hide the fact that I still needed to bandage them. Sighing, I broke her hug and slipped my training pants off, changing back into the lower half of my school uniform. Nodding to Kisa, I then slipped the door open a crack and exited again. Kisa nodded as she realized where I was headed and proceeded to get changed herself.

Walking slowly back across the dojo, I knocked on Kazuma's office door. "Yes? Come in..." called out from inside. Kazuma raised an eyebrow at me entering shirtless, but then sighed as I went for the medical closet. As I was digging out a gauze wrap, I heard a low whistle from behind me. "I didn't think you and Kisa were training with weapons... but then again, something tells me you weren't," he commented, walking up behind me.

I sighed. I hadn't wanted to tell anyone about Kisa's... alternate training, but Kazuma was one of my higher up individuals on my trust list... so I guess it couldn't hurt. "I was trying to teach her to channel her Zodiac. I'm guessing it worked a little too well and neither of us noticed in time..." I commented, finally finding the stupid cotton pads. Someone really needed to re-organize this closet... but it got used a lot as we weren't known as the gentlest dojo around.

Kazuma laughed as he grabbed the pads away from me and started putting antibiotic ointment on them. "I kind of thought that's what you were doing when I saw her eyes. You need to learn to experiment in a more controlled way, though..." he pointed out, causing me to chuckle.

"It wasn't exactly an expected outcome, you know..." I commented, smiling again finally. Kazuma put two pads on the lower cuts and I held them there using the gauze wrap, then twisted the entire wrap around my lower abs and looped it around again, waiting for the next two pads.

Kazuma shook his head. "The zodiac spirits are dangerous, you know that, Hiro. Just be careful from now on. You don't want anything to happen to Kisa, and I know that," he continued. I sighed and frowned again. I certainly didn't want her to start hearing things like me, no. But I had a feeling that was more due to my... incident than anything.

Neither of us said anything further until the bandaging was complete. Kisa had come in by then, carrying our two bags and my school shirt. She smiled at Kazuma, whom nodded in reply. "They're not very deep at all, so they should heal up nicely. Just don't do anything stupid for a few days and tear them, okay, Hiro?" Kazuma informed, patting me on the head. Kisa laughed and handed my shirt to me as I tried to hold back my eye from twitching.

"I'll try not to almost die for a few days, then..." I returned irritably, causing Kazuma to laugh. Kisa just smiled gently at me.

"Come on, Hiro. We're gonna be late for school," she pointed out, motioning me towards the dojo entry. I nodded and we both headed for outside...

* * *

**Maternal Anger**

* * *

"What were you THINKING, Kisa?! You didn't tell him until today, then expected everything to be just perfectly okay?!" Mother screamed. I sighed and winced, closing my eyes. I knew this would happen. I'd been regretting not telling Hiro and made up excuse after excuse to my Mother... Eventually she had stopped asking, I guess after she logically assumed it was so close to me leaving that I MUST have told him by now... which only made me feel worse about the aspect.

Hiro glared at her, in his typical irritated but calm manner. "Don't yell at her. I was the one who over-reacted in the first place and now she's told me, so there's obviously nothing more to yell at her for," he defended. I didn't deserve such a nice boy... why did he love me so much.

"Hiro..." I muttered, grabbing his hand. He looked down and seemed sad then, and I knew he was thinking bad thoughts again. No, he mustn't.

Mother sighed and shook her head. "This is so pointless. He didn't even have to suffer at all if you had just told him sooner and talked it through calmly, Kisa. His reaction was justified!" she exclaimed, sounding even more frustrated than before. I winced again. She was right, of course. I had no excuse not to tell him sooner.

Hiro looked irritated again. Either because she was ignoring his defending of me entirely, or that she was being persistent in lecturing me. "Stop it! You shouldn't say things like that to your own daughter! The only thing it does is make her feel bad, which she doesn't deserve. I'm not mad at her, so you shouldn't be either!" he exclaimed, looking quite upset.

I didn't know what to think. I felt I DID deserve it but... Hiro was defending me again and... this was all my fault anyway! If I'd told him, Mother wouldn't be mad and Hiro wouldn't HAVE to defend me!

"Well you SHOULD be mad at her! The whole point is that she obviously doesn't trust you enough with important decisions, which isn't how a strong relationship is sustained! Frankly, I'm sad that my daughter is acting like this, not mad..." she shot back, right arm shaking now.

I... couldn't help it. They just... came out on their own. Hiro frowned over at me as he saw my eyes get wet and I had to look down. He blamed himself for this... but he always did that! Nobody realizes how sensitive he actually is! I didn't not trust him... I was just worried about hurting him.

Two arms suddenly draped over my shoulders from behind! I stiffened for a second, then recognized Sis' hands as she hugged me gently. "Stop fighting, everyone... Kisa didn't mean to do this and was only afraid to tell Hiro. It had nothing to do with her not trusting him, so we need to focus on what's really important. Nobody's hurt from the accident and we can start to recover now, right?" she questioned gently from behind me. Mother sighed and looked down then. Yuki exhaled quietly and sank back into the couch again, and Kyo smiled at Sis with that soft look I always saw him get around her...

Hiro, however, stared sadly at Sis for a few seconds before lowering his head and looking away from us. I frowned at him. He still felt bad...

Shigure suddenly stood up? "Then it's decided then. The little Tigress and Lamb will stay here tonight instead of going back to that cold, lonely apartment! Shall I get out the sake, anyone?" he asked spontaneously, out of nowhere. Wait... what?!

WHAM! Kyo knocked Shigure into the floor with a smack to the back of the head! "Don't just decide things for yourself!" he scolded, looking irritated again. Yuki chuckled and stood up, resting a hand on Mother's shoulder and nodding to her.

"You should get some rest. Kisa will be fine for tonight, so don't worry..." he said quietly to her. Mother nodded gently and let him escort her out of the room, still not looking at me. I sighed. Worried about me? Maybe when I was younger... but not now.

Sis let me go then and walked around in front of me. "Come on, Kisa. Let's go make some supper for the boys," she said, tugging at my arm. I smiled and nodded to her, following her into the kitchen...

* * *

**Memory**

* * *

I yawned slowly as I walked next to Hiro on our way outside. The sun greeted us and I sighed as it didn't manage to heat the air at all. It might start snowing soon... Mori and Ichijo were already waiting for us at the entry. I smiled and nodded towards them as Hiro stopped and adjusted his coat.

He'd questioned me more about what I felt while channeling but it all happened so fast I didn't have a lot of time to make observations. All I knew was that I clawed his back up, which frustrated me. I should have better control over myself! I had to laugh, though. His eyes must convey the ability to see through organic things? Mine let me see heat sources... which seems to be slightly weird... but... well he MUST have seen SOMETHING with his eyes, as certain parts of him were DEFINITELY hotter than others... heh. He almost died of embarrassment when I told him, though...

After a minute had passed, Hiro sighed and looked around. "Where ARE those two?" he asked, sounding irritable. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at my watch. They WERE a little late.

Ichijo snickered. "Kissing in a closet somewhere?" he threw out. Mori laughed.

"He wishes... although it must be bad if even you noticed," she pointed out, causing Ichijo to glare at her.

"Noticed what?" suddenly came from behind us. I turned around and saw Inoue walking up, smiling softly and carrying a small painting canvas. Yoko was following behind her and carrying three much larger ones.

I blinked and stared at Yoko before smiling. "Ah... you're taking your canvases home. That's what took you..." I concluded. Inoue nodded happily.

"Yes, and Yoko's helping me carry them. He's so nice sometimes..." she cooed, smiling back at him. His cheeks went a pink color... way before the cold should have gotten to them, causing Mori to snicker endearingly again.

Yoko rapidly shook his head. "It... it's nothing. I mean, we live on the same street, so it's no big deal..." he managed to get out, smiling back at her. I smiled wider and nodded before leaning my head against Hiro's shoulder. He was warm and my face was cold, so a perfect resting spot!

Mori sighed. "Well it's chilly out here, so let's get going. Where to after this, by the way?" she asked as we started walking.

Hiro sighed as he slipped his hand into mine. "I'm hungry, so going to get some food would be the perfect start to the weekend," he concluded. I chuckled and nodded. It had been a few days since the incident and life was pretty much back to "normal" for us. As normal as it is for cursed zodiac members, anyway.

I stared sadly at Mori and Inoue. Both were sticking rather close to Hiro now. Hatori had to re-structure their memories, as per Akito's orders. The only way he could think of to write off all the scratches and bruises was that they were attacked again, though. It's not... fair in a way... but Hiro seemed okay with letting Mori off the hook, so being mad at her still was pointless.

Thinking about it though, the restructuring was probably better for Inoue in the long run. She was seriously disturbed after what happened and had difficulty talking. She was actually better after her memories were altered, which made Hiro sad, so I tried not to bring it up.

"Hiro... do you still think it's a good idea for us to sign up for the defense training?" Mori suddenly asked, after walking about halfway to Inoue's house.

Hiro sighed and nodded gently. "It's always a good idea to learn how to defend yourselves better... and you two seem to have very bad luck with needing to," he pointed out.

Yoko frowned and used his free hand to brush a wisp of his brown hair off his brow. "We want to take a martial art too! That way we can help if we're there..." he agreed, looking sadly at Inoue's back as she walked ahead of him. Ichijo nodded in agreement, but seemed deep in thought.

I sighed. "Kazuma will probably accept more students... if he can find another instructor, anyway. Weren't you helping him with that, Hiro?" I questioned. Hiro frowned.

"I've been trying. Ads in the paper and a few posters here and there have drawn some attention, but nothing more than weekend help. We need an actual master that can run another class slot. Kazuma is really the only master there, and he's kept busy with four class slots plus his training times at the school," Hiro pointed out, seeming exasperated. I guess I was lucky that Hiro himself was training me. Or was that "spoiled" instead? I snickered at my own mental joke, causing Ichijo to raise an eyebrow.

"What's so funny, Kisa?" he asked half a second later.

I laughed again, causing Hiro to look over at me questioningly as well. "Oh, I guess I'm just lucky... or spoiled that Hiro is teaching me himself. Now that I see all of the issues involved in classes, I guess I should be thankful to have my own personal Master to teach me," I explained, smiling at Hiro.

Yoko snickered and nodded, before replying, "Yeah. You're really lucky. Almost as lucky as Hiro was to be personally trained by Kazuma in the first place. He's a Sohma too, isn't he?"

I nodded gently and rested my head on Hiro's shoulder again as we walked. Mori seemed deep in thought and Ichijo looked distracted at best. After several seconds, Mori smiled suddenly and asked, "Is it possible for Hiro himself to take a weekend class slot? Then we wouldn't have to worry about it, would we?"

My eyes narrowed automatically. She was being greedy again... and I knew she still liked Hiro, no matter what she said. Ichijo shrugged and nodded. "It would be a good idea, if Hiro's up to it," he agreed after several more seconds.

Hiro sighed and was silent for a while. We'd quit working after school started back up, much to Michael's disappointment. We were apparently one of the harder workers that he'd gotten... but he promised us the same pay if we wanted to start up again at any point. Hiro knew he'd have time if he wanted to do this... although a part of me would rather he punch her in the face for asking...

"I'll ask Kazuma if he'd mind me using the dojo for a smaller class on the weekends. He already knows you guys, so it should be easier than normal," Hiro commented, after a few more seconds. Mori squealed and suddenly grabbed his other arm!

"Thank you, Hiro! I knew you'd be able to help us!" she exclaimed, smiling happily at him.

Ichijo raised an eyebrow to her and I actually glared this time, but she didn't seem to notice as she danced away again, spun, then ran back over to Ichijo. Yoko just rolled his eyes but Inoue didn't seem to notice. She was deep in thought over something, it looked like.

We walked for five more minutes or so before getting to Inoue's house. Yoko helped her carry the things inside, despite Mori's teasing that they shouldn't take "too long" then. I sighed and looked up at the sky. It was a light gray color, which seemed to make everything the colder.

It only took them a few minutes. I'd imagine her mother was glowing all over Yoko more. She seemed to really like him. Inoue looked almost... worried as she walked outside with Yoko, though. She stopped about ten feet away from us and looked up at a forty five degree angle. Yoko stopped walking shortly thereafter and looked back at her. Her eyes followed the path of a single flake of snow as it descended in front of her. Yoko smiled at it and extended his hand. It drifted gently into his gloved palm and he just watched it. Inoue did as well, but she wasn't smiling. "Something about the winter this year... just makes me feel uneasy," she muttered all of a sudden.

I frowned and looked at Hiro, who was just watching her sadly. Hatori had said that he couldn't bury the memories very deeply in her. Particularly traumatic things were difficult to modify, it would seem. Chances are, she still felt uneasy about Hiro's element.

Mori raised an eyebrow. "You and your feelings. It's just snow, Inoue," she pointed out, shrugging. Yoko rubbed Inoue's left shoulder though, gently and assuring, mixed with one of his soft smiles. She smiled back at him and nodded, catching back up with us. I sighed. This was going to be a long winter, I had a feeling... or would it be all too short, being my last one with Hiro for a little while? I guess I'll just have to see...

The four of us turned around and headed for the dojo to talk to Kazuma...

* * *

**Weariness**

* * *

Well, overall, things had went better than I was dreading. I guess I was overreacting to things as usual, but I had only assumed everyone would be utterly pissed at me. It makes me wonder how much Tohru has changed this family.

I leaned gently against the deck's railing using my waist, while resting both of my hands on the top of the rail. I'd changed out of my very tattered uniform and into a light fitting tank top and shorts after Kisa and I showered. I'm just glad that Kisa and I had brought more than one change of clothes for the party that was supposed to be today. I laughed to myself as a mental image of a frolicking Momiji drifted through my mind. He had been so excited over the water balloon fight that was planned...

The cool air played against my skin as I looked up at the moon. Every joint in my body was throbbing, and the shower hadn't helped as much as I hoped. Kisa seemed concerned when I just sat at the bottom of the tub with the water running over me, but seemed to calm down when I played it off on sore muscles. Muscles? My entire body was sore. It was like someone drove a hammer into every conceivable inch of my skin, just hard enough to bruise. But... no bruises were there. Just the ache. Maybe I should see Hatori...?

I heard a brief, but dark chuckle suddenly and looked around. Not finding anyone, I sighed. What did he want now? "No need to be rude, little one. Just noticing that you... we seem to be a bit on the sore side, now," he pointed out, mirroring exactly what I'd just irritably thought about.

"Brilliant assumption, genius. Unless you can do something about it, just leave me alone..." I whispered, looking back through the door to make sure nobody was within hearing distance. Kisa was still sitting at the table twenty feet away, squealing over that retarded cartoon with her "Sis"... Joy.

The dark laughter occurred again. "It seems like your fleshy frame is not meant to channel me to... such a degree, Little Lamb. Perhaps it... puts a drain on you to do so?" he contemplated, almost as if not to me. I frowned. Drain?

"You know more than you're letting on. Tell me what's going on!" I whispered, trying to control my anger. More laughter...

Hearing footsteps then, I started and looked to my left in time to see Kyo walking up from the side of the house? "What, have you started talking to yourself now, brat?" he asked, smirking as he approached. I rolled my eyes. Great... just when I'd got to the important part.

"Shut up, Furball. You're not one to talk about bad habits, sneaking about in the dark," I muttered irritably, looking away from him again.

Kyo's eyes narrowed and he looked about to say something, but he just snorted instead and leaned on the rail with his back, next to me. "Look, I didn't... I mean, I wasn't sneaking around in the dark. The garbage needed to be dumped for the morning pick up and I happen to have good hearing, Okay?" he reasoned, grumpily. I sighed and flipped about so I was facing inside again, same as him.

"So if the garbage is taken out, why is your mangy hide still out here, bugging me?" I asked, wishing he'd just leave me in peace.

That did it. Kyo was getting better, but he still wasn't known for his patience. "You damn brat! Why the hell do you have to act so conceited all the time?!" he screamed at me, almost shaking the windows. Kisa and Tohru both looked, startled, in our direction. Wow, he even got them to stop watching Mogeta. Definitely impressive.

"Conceited? I just want to be left alone. Who are you to judge as conceited, Furball? What gives you the right to call other people by such unpleasant adjectives when you yourself were the one who sought out their company in the first place? Do you think you're special or unique that you can do this? That sounds pretty damn conceited to me," shot back in an uninterrupted stream.

Kyo growled at me by the end and just stomped off, causing me to roll my eyes and walk to the other end of the deck, escaping Kisa's sad eyes. This was pointless. Nothing was solved so much as everybody just knows where everyone else stands now. Is that all it takes to "live", as they call it? The dark chuckle returned then and I just mentally shut him out. I certainly didn't need him at the moment, with my mentality already crappy enough. At least Kisa's Mother had went home already...

Looking up at the moon, I noticed it sure was bright tonight. An ethereal sort of aura almost extended off it, and I smiled to myself. Things would get better. Nothing extraordinarily detrimental had happened, I guess. I sighed softly and looked back at the forest.

"You're such the romantic. You should let more people see that side of you. It's so cute..." suddenly was spoken softly from right next to me! My eyes widened as I spun, sliding myself backwards and away from the voice as fast as I could!

The small girl was sitting on the handrail, staring up at the moon? She was in a black t-shirt with kind of a frilly sleeve to it. Her shorter skirt, also frilled at the bottom, only dropped to about two inches above her knees... but an inch below her knees, her strange socks or whatever they were started. The sock things themselves were striped with dark black and a gray. Her shoes were weird, buckled things with way too many straps in my opinion. To top off the rather weird outfit, she had black gloves on with flaring cuffs to them, and her hair was done up in two loose ponytails laying flat against the straight portion going down to her mid-back, tied with black ribbon. The awkward thing was that it was a shocking teal color, itself. Still... black. That was the overall sensation I got from her.

She didn't seem an immediate threat so I frowned instead and stood up straighter. She just sat there, kicking her legs out childishly as she looked upwards. "Who are you?" I asked cautiously after several seconds of silence.

"Andrea!" she answered instantly, without hesitation and at the same time, telling me absolutely nothing! She turned her head then and smiled at me. Her eyes were as blue as her hair. Her lips as well, although a darker shade in color. Weird. Other than her lips, she wasn't wearing makeup it looked like. "Oh wait... I probably should have told you my alias instead... um... oh well. I'm Mirage's little sister!" she added, looking slightly embarrassed before squealing out the last part excitedly. Twelve, maybe? Her age was hard to guess...

I blinked. Wait... who the hell was Mirage? "Uh... I don't think I know a Mirage... and alias?" I questioned, really confused now instead of worried.

Andrea giggled. "She said you were really hot, even if you beat the crap out of her, which was hilarious! Although... I can see she was definitely right!" she exclaimed, laughing this time. Beat the crap out of...?

I was back on defensive instantly and my eyes narrowed at the girl. No... she couldn't... in reality? I should have guessed that bitch was a real person somewhere! But how did this little girl... her "sister," sneak up on me like that!? "Oooh! Now you recognize the name! Figured it wouldn't take much. I can see why she likes you now!" Andrea exclaimed, smirking at me before looking back up at the moon.

"Why are you even here, if you're her sister?" I asked, cautiously still. Something was wrong. Shouldn't she be mad if I did that to... Mirage?

The girl shook her head. "I'm technically not supposed to be here, but I admit that Sis was worried about you... so I decided to check up on you myself!" she declared, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. I growled.

"Her? Worried about me? Bullshit," I returned, looking to see if I could find anything to defend myself with. She couldn't have gotten up onto the railing without me noticing... which indicates that she has a potentially dangerous new trait that I don't know about yet.

The girl shook her head. "It's not every day that someone first learns how to physically manifest, and I know it's draining on the body..." she pointed out, finally looking back at me, seemingly sad this time? I was confused again. Did she somehow know about...?

"Be careful, Little Lamb. This one's not what she seems. There's something not totally there with her form..." I heard in a dark voice that was familiar. It was just the strangely assisting tone that I wasn't used to. Her form?

Soft footsteps sounded from behind me then, and I partially looked to my left as Yuki appeared next to me. "Who's your little friend, Hiro?" he asked softly... but with a surprisingly suspicious undertone. Had he heard at least a part of our conversation?

The girl stood up on the railing and lowered into a polite curtsy using her skirt. "Very nice to meet you! I'm Fyre," she replied, smiling. She pronounced it more like "Fai-ray," though. Was that her "alias" that she was talking about. Furthermore, as she turned to face us fully, I noticed that she wore a strange looking amulet. It appeared to be an elaborate ankh made in an almost Celtic weave pattern. It was a silver in color.

Yuki shook his head. "I had asked Hiro, not you. This would have me believe that you are indeed uninvited on private property. Perhaps you should explain yourself properly?" he requested, not moving his eyes from her. His entire body was more tense than usual. He must have heard the conversation prior.

Andrea suddenly looked at a loss. "What? Aww. I thought I only had to ask permission before going inside the house. I'm sorry..." she muttered, frowning. Wait... what?

Her hand suddenly reached up and grabbed the amulet on her chest! There was a pulse of light from it and Yuki instantly fell backwards into a guard stance! My hand was already extending back and grabbing the nearest object it could find! Which... turned out to be the broom that Tohru was using earlier on the deck...

Everything happened extremely fast. Her hand whipped out and sent a strange red orb flying at my chest. Yuki sidestepped at the last second and drove his right palm sideways into the orb, just as I whipped my arm around and let the broom fly! The orb was knocked sideways and flew off into the yard. The broom flew straight and, unexpectedly, stabbed right through Andrea's stomach. No blood came out and it acted as if she wasn't even there, fully.

She laughed then. "So you noticed! Don't worry... it was just a small blast! But I am indeed a blaster type. I guess I'll see you later, Hiro! And next time I'll make sure to be invited properly," she declared after several seconds, with the broom still casually resting in her stomach. She giggled further and faded away, the giggling turning into an echo. The broom fell casually to the deck after she faded completely. That was... very strange.

Yuki frowned and looked at the broom, then out to the small fire that had started in the backyard. Fyre was a play on fire, I'd imagine. Frowning as well, I glanced at his still partially raised hand. The palm was red and looked like it had been partially burned? I sighed and remembered his palm the way it was before briefly before extending my energy out of my palm and into his like I had before. Yuki looked alarmed for a second before the burnt skin on his palm sealed up and healed over. I withdrew my energy and walked over to pick up the broom.

"Thanks. Who was that girl really?" he asked after a few seconds.

I shrugged, standing up. "She told me her real name was Andrea, and that she was the sister of that bitch who attacked me in the dream," I replied, walking back to him with the broom in hand still. It shouldn't have sunk into her like that unless she wasn't entirely here to begin with... which would explain how she got there so quietly.

Yuki frowned. "That Mirage person, huh? She didn't seem aggressive. If she was... what she called a blaster type, that attack seemed more playful than anything. What do you think she wanted?" he asked, again a question in which I really had no idea.

"She said she wanted to check up on me after something called physical manifestation, but I doubt that's why she was really here. Think she'll be back?" I asked, setting the broom back where it was before.

Yuki shook his head. "Let's hope that's not a trick she can repeat easily, but she said she wouldn't be back without permission," he pointed out. True.

I nodded and headed back towards the door. "Let's... not tell the others about this. They don't need anymore stress today..." I pointed out. Yuki chuckled and nodded, following me.

"Indeed. You especially... I had originally came to see if you were okay, you know," he informed, causing me to laugh. This had been a really... really long day. Now I just felt like going to sleep. Kisa smiled gently at me when I came back in with Yuki, and I nodded to her before walking over. She stood up then and laughed, pouncing...

* * *

**Chapter 26 – End!**

* * *

Author's Notes:

Um... yeah. Wow. It's been such a long time, I know. I could make any number of excuses, ranging from issues with school to clinical depression but that's all they'd be, excuses. I'm terribly sorry and apologize profusely for almost giving up on this story. It's sad now that I think about it and I'm glad I didn't now, if anyone is still here to read it, of course. Heh. I'm going to start writing on a schedule each day now, so updates should be quicker as I take my writing more seriously. We'll see, but I definitely am not going to let this story drop now.

Back to this chapter, then. Shorter than my usual ones, but my laptop that had all of my chapters on it crashed and died, and stupid me didn't make backups, so I guess I deserve that. I wanted to get this chapter out faster than usual I guess. Something about not wanting to make my readers wait any longer than they had to. I know, kind of a moot point after this long. This chapter is largely wrap up of the last story arc anyway.

Oh, and a special thanks goes out to LullusHuo for their very polite PM they sent me a while back. That snapped me out of my stupid mood about this story and that's when I started revising my storyline for it. It took me a bit to get the chapter out after that, but they were the one who got me started on the process again by reminding me that people were still waiting for my update, so I dedicate this new chapter to LullusHuo. Thank you for reminding me that people like my story.

See you all again soon, and my sincere apologies once more.

Signed,

Angsty Tiger

* * *

**ronandhermy**

Wow... now your final statement really stings. Heh. And I apologize for making you be lonely for so long with this one. If all goes according to future plans however, my updates should be much faster in the future. I'll probably be aiming at once a week. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well!

**lightningstrxu**

Awesome Avi! You love Mahou Sensei Negima too?! Cool! At least I read it on your profile. Hee. And I'm glad it's still interesting. I admit that I'm experimenting with different descriptive styles at this point and I hope they're not confusing or something.

**Anonymous**

Every review you write intrigues me. -laughs- Wish I knew more about you. But anyway, yes, you're right. I also keep up with Naruto and was indeed inspired by the tailed beast idea... Plus Furuba plays itself to that well already, so I decided to experiment with the concept based on my cousin's request. And I don't like writing action scenes because I don't feel I'm good at them. But I realize that sometimes... storyline is best conveyed through direct action. Just drama and romance gets... sticky and oozy to me after a while, for very poorly chosen adjectives.

And I do try to do research on things I'm unfamiliar with. At least the basics of the fighting styles used. Plus my own background of Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido help with that at least a little, at least for structure's sake. I'll definitely have to look more into Ranma, though! Thank you. Oh, and thank you again for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this shorter chapter as well.

**Zith**

Indeed. Very nice choice of words with adjustment. I'll also admit to using this story as experimentation to improve my writing ability for my hopefully, eventually published book. So some themes are used to that purpose. And I also agree about Momiji. That's mostly the reason why I have him understand Hiro the best. It seemed fitting with said backgrounds.

Heh... indeed Kisa's confidence has been attempted at increasing slowly, with a few mis-adjusted spikes here and there. Although... I wouldn't entirely call beating up half a dozen immature grade school students bad-ass. I'm attempting actually to build up an alternate facet to Kisa that she lacked before. Her character in the manga isn't set for confidence at all, which is frustrating to work with. I also note that Hiro has a tendency to be, at least physically, slightly the same way. There's an extreme re-balancing in his mentality however, where he is extremely vulnerable.

You should read the Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny. He far outshines me for making perfect protagonists, but it's still an awesome story. Heh. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

**Kamen Disguise**

Ah! I want to watch that movie so bad! -cries!- But yes, I'm trying to stay as cannon as I possibly can while adding the fantasy element further into the story. And... thank you. Nobody's ever said that to me before, so I thank you. Oh, and for reading the story and reviewing, of course! Hee. Hope you enjoy this chapter just as much!

**Beege**

Oh dear! You've probably stopped checking all together by now! Sadness! Well... I hope you at least check once more to see that I'm back to updating... although the college thing didn't go exactly as planned, I haven't given up yet on that, either. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you liked this chapter just as much, if not more.


	27. Recovery

* * *

**Chapter 27 - Recovery**

* * *

The wind was getting colder. It would definitely be winter soon. The six of us slowly made our way down the street and closer to the dojo. Kisa was patting her hands together as she walked, obviously cold. At least the inside of the dojo was heated. I wondered what Kazuma would say to four new students? I knew the state of business already, so it might be hard pressed as it is.

I raised an eyebrow as we got closer to the dojo. Two cars were parked in front of it? Busy day today. Normally the instructors either lived close enough to walk or parked in the back lot. Students would walk most of the time... Kisa noticed the cars but, not being here on a semi-regular occurrence, seemingly didn't think much of it.

We turned the corner and I widened my eyes. Mother was standing near the entry of the dojo, talking to Kazuma? That was weird. They were friends but normally I didn't see her here. Wait, if she was here, where was...?

Wham. Hinata landed on my back from the tree, and I let out an exasperated gasp as I bent over. Kisa let out a yelp and turned to look at me as I straightened back up with the giggling girl on my back. Mori tilted her head and gave me a weird look. Come to think of it, I don't think any of them have seen my sister before. It's not like anyone was let into the Sohma estate who wasn't a Sohma that often. Hinata put her elbows down on my shoulders and smirked at me as I supported her from behind. At least she was careful not to wrap her arms around me... THAT would have been bad. "Hey Hinata. How are you today?" I asked, tilting my head to smile at her.

"Hey Bro! Mom's taking me to get signed up for practice here!" she exclaimed happily. I had to admit, I was a little surprised. I'd heard she was bugging Mom about it for a while, but usually she's so scatterbrained that she'd just forget.

Yoko smiled then as he caught up with me. "Oh, so this is your little sister, Hiro?" he asked, watching her carefully. Inoue was right behind him, but still looked perplexed. I continued walking up towards Mother with them following.

Kisa nodded instead of I. "Yup! Her name's Hinata. She's seven now!" she informed, smiling at Hinata as well.

"Almost eight!" Hinata corrected with a giggle and wiggled a bit on my back. She boosted herself up my back then and contented herself with sitting on my shoulders instead. I laughed and approached Mom.

She nodded when I got there, then shook her head at Hinata. "So much energy. Maybe this training will do you some good, Hinata," she pointed out, smiling up at her. Kazuma shook his head.

"She does have a lot of energy, Satsuki, but you know the state of the dojo at the moment..." he reminded, sounding sad.

She frowned and turned back to Kazuma. "Isn't there anything you can do, Kazuma?" she asked softly. Oh, great. If he wasn't letting ONE person sign up... five would probably be out of the question. Movement suddenly caught my attention behind Kazuma. Glancing past him, I saw what looked like two kids in training uniforms pretending to spar. I say pretending, because most of the time they were missing each other anyway. Wait... they looked familiar...

The girl had darker brown hair, almost black, and wore it straight down to her shoulders. She was a little shorter than the boy, but not by much. He had shorter, black hair, with a tiny little stub of a pony tail out the very back of it. I'd seen them before, now that I recall. Yes, those were the two that Kazuma had wanted me to train earlier! Kana and Masashi was it?

"I think they're here to get signed up, too. Their Daddy's inside waiting..." Hinata informed, seeing the direction of my gaze. I nodded.

"Yeah. Kazuma wants me to train them at some point... which is actually what I'm here about," I explained.

Kazuma must have overheard me and turned in my direction, having priorly been talking to my mother. "Oh? Have you decided that you can manage a couple students?" he asked gently, smiling again. Mother raised her eyebrow to me. Couple? Heh...

"Actually... it might be more than a couple now. My four friends want to join in too. Think it would be okay for all four to join up?" I asked, causing Kazuma to laugh.

Hinata rolled off my shoulders then and landed on her feet in front of me, rapidly spinning around? "Train me too, brother! I wanna learn martial arts too!" she exclaimed excitedly, causing Kisa to giggle.

"Think you can handle seven students and private training of Kisa, too?" Ichijo asked from behind me. I sighed.

Mother smiled at me and nodded. She added, "It would make Hinata very happy if you could do it even once a week. You shouldn't over-tax yourself, though."

Well I guess that decided it for me. "Okay, I should be able to handle group training on the weekends. Is it okay if I use the dojo for that, Kazuma?" I asked politely.

Kazuma nodded gently. "Indeed, Hiro. I can even pay you partial instructor wages for the cost of a small class if..." he started, like I thought he would.

"They're all personal friends of mine. They shouldn't have to pay anything beyond the equipment fees... so don't worry about it," I reminded, causing him to chuckle.

Yoko shook his head but kept smiling at me. Kisa muttered a soft "Hiro..." and looked down a little. Friends were... valuable to me, I discovered. My personality at times was probably enough that they had to pay for, anyway. I sighed and looked away from Kisa. How could it feel so blissful to just absorb a person with your eyes at one point, and then be the most painful thing in the world to look at during another? Seeing Kisa sad always... hurt something deep inside of me. I couldn't explain it.

"Hiro! It's you!" was suddenly exclaimed, totally snapping me out of my mental thoughts with a start! Kana and Masashi were running past Kazuma and at me full tilt! My eyes widened as Kana jumped into the air towards me?! Oh no! I extended my hands up, trying to catch her before she landed against me!

Her hands moved way faster than I anticipated... Kisa snatched Kana out of the air and caught her herself instead! Masashi ground to a halt and just stared at Kisa. I think the speed must have surprised him? Thankfully... Turning small and furry would NOT have made for a good day at this point, especially in front of six people who didn't know about the curse.

Kana blinked at Kisa before trying to get free. "Hey, who are you?" she asked as Kisa finally set her down. Masashi was still just staring at Kisa in a dumbfounded way. I raised an eyebrow to him briefly, then chuckled a little as his cheeks started to be shaded a light pink color.

"Sorry... I just reacted. Don't like other girls attaching themselves to my Hiro, after all, right?" she asked, winking down at Kana.

The little girl lit up with a huge grin. "You must be Kisa! It's so nice to meet you!" she exclaimed happily then, walking back up and hugging her waist more willingly this time. Masashi's eyes bugged out and he looked back at me in surprise... which turned to shock when he saw me already watching him. Then he rapidly looked away from me and turned a bright red color, seeming to shrink a little. Mori raised an eyebrow to him.

Kazuma stepped off the deck then and walked over to Mori, Inoue, Ichijo, and Yoko. "If you four wish to sign up as well, you're going to need training uniforms. We special order them to your sizes, so if you wish to step inside for a moment, I can get you signed up..." he explained, starting in on his usual pitch. I tried not to laugh, but I suppose more income would help to expand the dojo. He was currently saving up for an entirely new division to the main building that would house sword practice as well. I was all for it, of course, but we needed to raise a lot of money.

They all agreed and followed Kazuma inside of course. Kisa frowned and looked back to me, releasing Kana. "They're not going to be able to start their training today, Hiro. What are you going to do about these two?" she asked, motioning to the two kids standing at attention now in front of me. Hinata shook her head.

"They should have to wait just like the others for their first lesson!" Hinata exclaimed, suddenly glaring at Kana? Wait... what?

Mother frowned as Kana and Masashi yelped and glared back at her. "Hinata! What's gotten into you?" Mother asked as she walked over. Kisa blinked a few times and seemed surprised by the reaction.

"Well it's only fair. We have to wait for our training clothes but they think they're special or something and get training sooner!" she exclaimed. Whoa!

Masashi shook his head. "Hey, we got here way before you guys did anyway, so we should get to start training first!"

"Yeah! You just want to hog Hiro's attention anyway! What gives you the right?!" Kana asked, looking angry now. Great...

Hinata stomped her foot down and didn't back down. In a way I was proud of her but... I didn't see a reason for this argument in the first place. I couldn't grab her though or I'd transform... and Kisa seemed at a loss. "He's my brother, that's what gives me the right!" she shouted back, causing Kana's eyes to widen and Masashi to start staring at her again, having priorly looked to me.

"Okay, that's enough of this. Come on, Hinata..." Mother suddenly instructed, walking back towards our car.

Hinata frowned and looked after her. "Mother! Don't you... come on!" she exclaimed, exasperated.

"Hinata... tell you what, I'll come over after practice and give you a special lesson at our house, okay? You won't need a training uniform then," I offered, kneeling down in front of her and patting her head.

Hinata grinned at me then and nodded. Figured that would fix this... Mother shook her head at me, but kept smiling. What? Hinata suddenly leaned in and gave me a small peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Bro! You're the best!" she exclaimed before rushing over to where our mother was. Kana glared after her but Masashi just watched. Kisa... wasn't really paying attention anymore. Come to think of it, she's been kinda out of it all day. I wondered if she felt okay.

Kisa suddenly noticed my attention and smiled at me. "Good way to handle that, Hiro. But I worry that you do too much some days..." she commented, tilting her head at me. I sighed and stretched wearily. Some things were worth it, though.

"Just this one time shouldn't be bad. You don't have to stick around if you don't want to, though," I pointed out, smiling at her.

She nodded in a tired manner. "Yeah... I think I'm actually going to go back to the apartment and rest. I'm kinda tired today..." she added, needlessly. It was quite obvious that she was tired.

I frowned but nodded, unsure of if I should follow her or not. She smiled then and nodded again to be before turning and heading down the walk. Well... I guess that solves that.

Still unsure, I turned back to Kana and Masashi, who were watching me carefully. They still looked on edge after the incident with Hinata. "Shall we get to work, then? I should be able to make it an hour or so today," I asked, smirking at them. Both nodded happily and ran over to... the wrong training equipment in the dojo. This was going to be a long hour...

* * *

**Uncertainty**

* * *

I sighed wearily. Flushing the toilet, I watched the red-tinted water swirl and disappear. Hiro never really understood this aspect of my life. Well... he often wouldn't even notice until I was a day in or so. Heh. Wandering back into bedroom, I listlessly fell onto the bed, rubbing at my stomach. It rarely helped with the cramps but... ah well. I lay there, staring at the window across the room. The snow was coming down again, drifting lightly to and fro.

This time of year was always magic for me, too. I loved the first snows. For some reason, they were always so pretty to me. Half of me wondered what Inoue was thinking about now, though. She should forget in time but... I know Hiro still feels bad over what happened. Hiro...

Oh so strong Hiro. Adamant and resolved, directed, focused. He knew what he wanted and went for it. Reasonably good grades in school... physically strong and skilled... I laughed to myself. Nobody knew him, though. He only let me in close. To see him sad or crying... Inside, he wasn't as strong as he wished. He put on an air of being unbeatable but... that was mostly to protect himself. I just didn't understand why he can't just... let that part of himself go. Lowering his guard to his friends even would... I don't know.

I rolled over onto my back, trying to settle my stomach down again. Things were moving so fast now. We were a month or so into school again. My... last year of grade school. Last year. Something about the "last" part didn't want to sink in. Leaving for halfway around the world was just... unreal. Something... inside of me was so afraid. Hiro encouraged me and gave me strength but... he wouldn't be there for me after I left. What was I so afraid of?!

A new world would be terrifying. It would be a totally foreign landscape and people. I'd have no friends again, no relatives, no Sis, no... Hiro. What... would I do if I... panicked or screwed up or something?! Tensing up, I winced and rolled back over onto my side. This was so stupid. I had to grow up at some point. Hiro might appreciate the solitude for a bit... and might like me even more if I gained a little independence, right? And Sis had her own life ahead of her. She couldn't look after me all the time...

Sis... I sat up again. This wouldn't do. Being alone, I'd just explode. Frowning, I got up and wandered back to the coat rack. Maybe Sis would be available to talk. Getting my coat back on, I slowly headed out the door and towards Shigure's house.

The wind was pretty much non-existent, so I was treated to just drifting snow. It was still really cold though and I half-closed my eyes, feeling the air against my cheeks. Hiro probably noticed that I didn't feel very good at the dojo. He picked up on that kinda thing really fast. Usually the "why" of it eluded him a little longer, though. Worrying him wouldn't do, though... so maybe talking to Sis for a while would help me get over my funk and at least cheer up a little.

I sneezed suddenly and caught myself off guard with it as it snapped me out of my thoughts. Stupid cold. Couldn't it snow without being cold? I'd be able to enjoy it more, then. Crossing the street, I turned down the long and winding road that lead to Shigure's. The Sohmas always were ones for seclusion. I shook my head and pressed on. Now that I was almost there, no sense in having second doubts.

Stepping along the side of the drive, I must have touched down on a patch of ice I didn't notice. It was uphill, and I lost my balance. Letting out a yipe, I went over backwards and landed in the snowbank I had just passed. Gah! This was just what I needed. Now my clothes were wet! The energy left my muscles and I sneezed again, suddenly a little more tired than I thought. The subsequent explosion of smoke caused me to sigh discontentedly. Of course. This day just wasn't crappy enough.

Crawling to my feet again, I pawed at my fallen coat, boots, and clothing until they were mostly out of the snowbank. My fur puffed up until it was slightly warmer in the cold, and I gathered my discarded clothing in my mouth before continuing towards Shigure's house. At least it would be warm in there...

"K...Kisa?!" suddenly game from the deck and I looked up then, wearily watching Yuki from the ground. Well... I don't suppose many other tigers approach your house in a nonchalant manner carrying a full set of girls clothes in their mouths... probably looking somewhat pissed off by now.

He ran down the steps of the deck and over to me before gently removing all of the clothes from my mouth. "Hey Yuki... Had a little accident. Can I warm up inside for a while?" I asked weakly after the obstructions were removed from my mouth. He laughed gently before nodding and helping me up the steps of the deck and inside. I was more than a little tired and hoping I wasn't catching a cold on top of all this. That would just be disastrous.

Sis ran over when she came downstairs. She probably heard Yuki talking to me. "Kisa! What happened?! Are you okay?" she asked frantically, immediately feeling my furry forehead as I lay on the couch.

"I'm fine, Sis... Just need a little rest. I fell down in the snow and got... tired again... and then I transformed," I tried to explain to get her to calm down. It wasn't a big deal. I was just cold...

Yuki nodded and headed towards the hallway. "I'll call Hatori. Can you get her a blanket, Tohru?" he asked politely. Sis nodded and stood up again. No... not Hatori. I wasn't that bad. I... snagged the bottom of her dress with one claw as she started to walk off. She stopped and smiled down gently at me. Geh... My strength was fading fast and I let go of her dress again.

"Just... don't tell Hiro I changed..." I managed to mutter to her before falling asleep...

* * *

**Mother Knows Best**

* * *

Sighing blankly, I continued to stare at the rock. It wasn't even a very interesting rock. One of many rocks that comprised of the walkway up to my house. The only real difference with this rock was that it was an inch from my nose, me having priorly smashed my forehead into it. Silly rock.

Groaning, I twisted my head to the side and glared back at my little sister, whom was sitting on my back at the given moment. "TWICE?! Why twice in one day?" I asked irritably after she stopped giggling.

"Hey, that time I MEANT to just wave at you. The branch broke!" she defended, holding up a three foot long, severed branch as proof. I sighed. It was all of two inches thick. That wouldn't have supported her without the wave.

Shaking my head, I rolled sideways, toppling her over to the left of me. She smirked up at me as I helped her up, then continued towards our house. "You know, if you keep beating me up, I'm going to be too sore to teach you martial arts..." I pointed out as we reached the main door.

Hinata pretended to pout as I opened the door for her. After five seconds or so, I finally decided to playfully punt her in the butt and she stumbled inside, laughing. Mother raised an eyebrow to us as she turned the corner into the entry hall. "Was she giving you a rough time again, Hiro?" she asked in amusement. Gah... both of them enjoyed this.

"Hey, if she wasn't so short, I'd show her who's boss. Wait till you grow up a bit, Sis..." I informed, winking at her.

Hinata crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at me. "You know you love me way too much for THAT!" she reminded, causing me to laugh and ruffle her hair up.

Mother watched her play-struggle for a few moments before laughing and shaking her head at us. "Well come inside, Son. Do you want me to make you some supper? You must be hungry after training two youngsters," she deduced. I groaned inwardly as I remembered the last fitful hour. I forgot what it was like to start someone totally fresh... especially if they have the attention span of a hyperactive ferret.

"If it's not too much trouble. Kisa didn't seem to feel very good earlier and it would save me having to bug her when I got back..." I muttered, causing Hinata to frown.

Mother nodded gently and walked into the kitchen. Hinata walked over to me and watched as I took my shoes off in the entry hall. "Big sister doesn't feel good today? Is she okay?" she asked, sounding worried already. I shouldn't have said anything in front of Hinata. She adores Kisa.

I shook my head gently at her. "Don't worry, Hinata. I think she's only tired, so she'll feel better after a good night's rest," I assured, getting her to smile again.

I nodded up to her as she turned and went to go into the dining room. Watching her walk in a surprisingly graceful manner made me remember the first time she tried walking and I smiled to myself. She'd grown up so much since then. Now she was up to my stomach, at least. While I'm not as tall as Haru or Yuki, I still think she's growing like a weed. Tonight she was in a loose t-shirt and a modest pair of shorts. She'd probably practice in that perfectly fine. And her hair, dark brown like mine, was done up in two small pigtails, so that was okay too. Kisa complained about her hair getting in the way while practicing sometimes... It probably didn't help that I teased her about it.

Chuckling to myself, I followed Hinata into the living room. "How's my little sister doing, today?" I asked, if not to just be pleasant.

"Kinda tired after school. Plus there's an annoying boy who picks on me all the time. That's why I want training like Kisa... so I can deck him if he annoys me!" she exclaimed in exuberance. I sighed discontentedly. A good thought... but the motive left much to be desired.

She spun and smirked at me gently. I raised an eyebrow before smiling as well. Sometimes I forget her actual age, I guess. Lowering myself into a guard stance then, I nodded to her. "Just copy what I do for now. There's a couple stances used first for balancing that you need to get down," I started...

By the time supper was done, Hinata had pretty much gotten the first three stances I typically started with. She was having a little difficulty balancing in the forward bracing stance, but managed to get it after a few tries. Regardless, she had quite a bit of fun doing it, and was ready to move onto basic straight punches and kicks by the time we were called to supper.

Mother had set out a full table! It must have been their supper as well, I guess. Well Kisa definitely wouldn't have to cook tonight! I smiled and nodded at Mother as she put down the last plate of food. "Wow, you made a lot, Mom. Is this all for me?" I teased, smiling at her.

She laughed as she sat down as well. "Just leave a little for your sister and me and we'll be fine!" she exclaimed, teasing right back. Hinata snickered before plopping down in her chair.

"Bro is working me hard, so I definitely have an appetite!" she exclaimed upon settling in.

I laughed and just watched her for a few seconds before reminding, "Just remember, you should never start fights, Hinata. Use this knowledge only for defense, okay?"

Mother nodded as well and watched Hinata look down slightly. "I know... don't worry. I'll only deck him if he tries to hurt me, okay?" she assured, smiling back up at me. Whew. At least the poor kid wouldn't be traumatized at being beat up now...

I nodded. "Yes. That's the best way to use martial arts. Just don't forget..." I added before starting to eat, myself.

We chatted off and on during supper, but most of our time was devoted to eating, of course. I caught Hinata's green eyes peering in my direction once or twice during the meal, but she would always look away when I looked at her. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything... Of course, she had changed somewhat after the... incident. More reserved, maybe? It seemed to alter her outlook on things anyway. Maybe I'm thinking too deeply for a person as young as her, though.

My memories flickered again and I winced a little. I didn't remember much from that event but... I was probably fortunate I guess. The strongest memory was the overwhelming vision of... blood everywhere. That bitch's snide grin suddenly flickered into my mind again, and my right arm spasmed uncontrollably from the surprise!

Mother and Hinata both yelped as I winced and slammed my knife into the top of the table with my right hand! I let go of the knife instantly and grabbed at my right hand as it shook. Damn it! What was WRONG with my body?!

Hinata went from wide eyed to frowning. "Are you okay, Bro?" she asked softly. Mother just looked at me with a sad expression on her face.

After a few moments of recovery, my arm finally started listening to me again and I sighed. "Yeah.... I'm okay. Sorry about... the table, Mom..." I apologized weakly.

She just smiled softly and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Just as long as you're okay..." she added, still not looking fully convinced that I was fine.

I sighed and massaged my left temple to try to clear the memory out again. This was so annoying. Although I guess I'm lucky, tallying up everything that's happened in my life, that I'm even here to eat with Mother still.

I started to help Mother clear the dishes but she shooed me out of the room before I could, saying that I should help Hinata train more. She was too nice sometimes. I guess I'm the luckiest of the zodiac children, parent-wise. It still makes me sad... Especially about Rin and Yuki.

Wandering out into the living room, I frowned when I didn't see Hinata this time. It took a few moments, but I finally discovered her standing on the deck looking up at the moon. It had gotten dark fast while I was here, I guess. I probably shouldn't stay too much longer. "It's cold out here, Sis. You should at least wear a coat..." I commented, walking up to stand beside her.

"You're not..." she pointed out softly, without turning to look at me. I chuckled and looked up at the moon as well. She had a point there. "It was that woman again, wasn't it...?" she suddenly asked, catching me off guard.

I sighed, watching my breath in the air. "It was my hope that you wouldn't remember that, but yes..." I returned after a few seconds of hesitation.

Hinata smiled instead. "I'm fine, Bro... I get... weird dreams occasionally but aside from that, I'm okay... so don't... worry about me, alright?" she asked, not so much a question. She finally turned to look at me and I saw she had a sad smile on. Smiling gently back at her, I knelt down in front of her. She slipped forward and rested her forehead against my shoulder. Her arms didn't raise, though. It was times like this that I hated the curse the most. Reaching forward, I grabbed her hands and held both of them gently.

"I love you, Hiro... I remember. Everything you did for me in the dream. I could... see it all, even after..." she continued, stuttering then. I remained quiet to let her speak... No. More like I couldn't find the words to return. "So don't blame yourself, okay...? I'm still here..." she muttered, finishing by pressing her face harder into my left shoulder. I felt a bit of wetness where she touched.

Giving her hands a squeeze, I nodded. "I love you, too, Hinata. Always will. I'm not going to let anyone ever do that again..." I promised, voice lowering as well. It was difficult to contain my... anger at them, even now.

Hinata broke away and smiled up at me then, tears coming down her cheeks. I wiped them away with my right hand before lightly pecking the top of her forehead. "Let's go inside now, okay? We can still get a bit of practice in before I have to leave for the day..." I offered. She smiled and nodded energetically, and we went back inside...

* * *

**Sleepless Ache**

* * *

My eyes slowly fluttered open to the sound of voices. Where was I? There were warm cushions below me... and a comfortable blanket on top of me. How long had I been out? This is...

"...but come get some sleep afterwards, okay?" was whispered quietly. The house was darkened severely. It must be night? It was followed gently by, "I know, Kyo. I'll be up to bed in a little bit, okay? I just want to make sure she's okay before I do."

Kyo? The second voice sounded like Sis. I was still at Shigure's house. How late was it? Ug... I hoped someone had called Hiro and said I was staying the night or something. "Okay. I'll keep the lamp on for you, then..." he returned. Wait... what? There was no reply that I heard. Just Sis making a quiet murmur, then footsteps going up the stairs.

Several seconds later, Sis came into view around the corner. I pretended to be asleep again and just now waking up so she wouldn't freak out on me. "Oh, Kisa... you're waking up. How do you feel?" she asked gently, kneeling down next to the couch I now realized I was on.

"I've felt better... How late is it?" I asked, slowly turning my head to look at her. My body was sore... Pity I only noticed after I tried to move. Was I really sick on top of it?

Sis smiled and grabbed a small bottle from the table next to the couch. "Hatori said you had a fever earlier but gave you a shot to make that go away. He said you had weird sounds in your lungs and the back of your throat was red... so he suspected strep throat... I think," she informed in a vaguely confused manner. I somehow doubt Hatori said I had weird noises, exactly, but I think I knew what she meant. Bleh. She sat down on the edge of the couch and poured a cap-full of the medication.

I sighed discontentedly, but nodded. "I thought it was just me making me feel like crap, but I did wake up with a lot of coughing, now that I think about it..." I added, frowning. Taking the cap from her, I downed the entirety of it in one gulp. It tasted... kinda bad. Hatori wasn't known for sweetening things, though.

Sis smiled gently and gave the top of my head a pat, before assuring, "I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning, Kisa. You should really try to go back to bed now, though. Sleep is the best medicine for being sick, as your body heals a lot faster during that time."

"Did anybody call Hiro to let him know I was here?" I asked quietly, feeling tired again already. I was worried that Hiro was worried about me for one, and that he was all alone in the apartment for another. Who knows. He might end up setting fire to the place this time...

Sis smiled and nodded. "Yes, Yuki called him earlier. We just said that you didn't feel good and I decided to take care of you here for a night. He was perfectly fine with it..." she informed, snickering silently.

I sighed and nodded, falling back to my pillow gently. "Now I just hope I have an apartment left to go back to tomorrow..." I muttered under my breath. Sis raised an eyebrow to me.

"Er... what did you say, Kisa?" she asked quizzically after several seconds.

I shook my head. "Eh, never mind, Sis. Try to get some sleep tonight, and don't worry about me, okay?" I asked, knowing she probably wouldn't.

Sis smiled and nodded to me before standing up from the couch edge again. "Okay, okay, you win. I'll go to bed, then. Just call for me if you need anything, okay Kisa?" she requested, smirking at me. She was such a worrier. I nodded to her before saying goodnight.

After she got to the top of the stairs, I sighed and clicked off the lamp next to me, greeting the darkness by rolling onto my side. The couch wasn't the most comfortable, but now I could definitely see why Sis didn't want me staying with her tonight. Heh. Not that I thought she was going to be doing anything risqué, but they deserved their privacy, if I read into Kyo's words correctly.

The darkness was extremely pervasive and I felt uneasy, in a way. I wasn't used to sleeping alone, I guess. This wouldn't do at all if I was going to go away to college without Hiro. Come on, grow up, Kisa. You don't NEED Hiro to sleep. You used to do it all the time before you moved in with him. So remember that instead.

My mind wouldn't shut off, it seemed. I was tired a moment ago, but the second it was dark again, I couldn't stop thinking. I relied upon Hiro for a lot of things. He must get so tired of it. It really is kind of presumptuous of me to think that he doesn't mind. Downright crass even, now that I consider it. Although he can be overwhelmingly protective of me, too. Maybe me not doing things for myself for so long has led him to believe that I can't do them at all?

I shook my head. No... that wasn't Hiro's fault. Just my bad mood talking. Hiro loved me, and that's why he's over-protective. It was endearing most of the time. I accounted it to my mood to why it was vaguely smothering now. But I really should attempt to become more independent. Perhaps I should talk to Mother about it tomorrow. She'd probably fully support me learning to do a few things so Hiro wouldn't be overwhelmed. Plus I'd wanted to patch things up with her for a while now.

I nodded to myself and pulled the blankets up, shivering a little. Hiro tolerated cold a lot better than I did... but I was more adapted to heat than him. I guess we compliment each other, there. Or was it not at all? Not bothering to decide, I just wrapped the excess edges of the blanket around my ears to protect most of my exposed skin while cuddling further into the warmth. It had a freshly washed smell to it, even. Sis really outdid herself. I'll have to remember to thank her tomorrow...

I sighed, contently for the first time tonight, and let my consciousness slip away...

* * *

**Conflicting Agendas**

* * *

My eyes opened slowly and I stared up at the ceiling. Groaning, I slowly sat up in bed and looked around wearily. What a crappy dream. I'd gotten so bored with training in the dream without Kisa that I simply wandered listlessly. It took forever to wake up, even, and now I was more tired than when I went to bed. Plus there was a horrendous smell in the apartment suddenly, I noted. Oh, now I remember. The fish I had attempted to cook last night kinda... exploded. Oh, then I burned the replacement pizza in the oven, but it was still edible at least. Perhaps it was a bad idea to throw the splattered remains of the fish into the garbage in the apartment?

Groaning, I slipped out of bed and pulled on my sweat bottoms over my boxers. They were comfortable and I didn't feel like dressing fully just to throw the smelly garbage bag in the dumpster behind the apartment complex. Wincing at the terrible smell, I quickly yanked the bag out of the garbage can and tied the top of it off, sighing in relief when the smell was properly warded off from the rest of the air. Bleh. I'd never do THAT again. Burnt and exploded fish smelled terrible after sitting overnight!

Shuffling towards the apartment door, I pulled it open, snatched my key off the ring on the wall next to the door, and slipped out into the hallway... Just my luck, the door closed faster than anticipated and I got the stupid garbage bag stuck in the door. Sighing irritably, I put my key back into the lock and attempted to turn it. It jammed again and I growled, managing to finally turn the pin and push the door open again to free the bag...

Only then I realized that the lower corner of the door had not wedged the corner of the garbage bag, but snagged the plastic on a sharper edge. Damn it! Actually swearing out loud, I watched the garbage bag rip open in the bottom and spill its smelly, smelly contents all over the hallway floor... and my slipper. Oh, part of the fish had liquefied! Even better!

My forehead hit the edge of the door frame in despair and I just stood there, mentally stringing expletives together to describe the situation. Then I heard a light snickering from my left?

Turning to look, I saw a younger girl standing there in the entryway of the main office with a broom, watching me and giggling at my seemingly display of ineptitude. Great. Everything was always better with an audience to witness it. Wait... she looked familiar. She was the daughter of the people that owned this apartment, now I remember! She was the girl I talked to when I first checked the place out, if I recall correctly. What was her name...? Then I realized with a slight awkwardness that I had never gotten it.

"Do you need some help there, Hiro? I'll go get another garbage bag..." she said, without waiting for my answer. I sighed discontentedly as she turned away and went back inside the office. Why did things like this always happen and embarrass me?

I'd gathered most of the contents of the bag up by the time she got back with a replacement. She held it open as I just dropped the entirety of the old bag into the new one and nodded to her. "Thanks... uh... I'll clean the carpet too, it was kinda my fault in the first place..." I muttered. She giggled and shook her head, flushing slightly.

"Nonsense! I'm cleaning already, so I might as well help you too!" she exclaimed. Well she was holding a broom earlier, I guess.

Wandering outside, I walked quickly over to the trash bin and dumped the smelly thing in before it violated my nostrils any further... By the time I got back inside, rubbing my bare arms to warm them, the girl had already gotten a... steam cleaner out? She had plugged it in and was scrubbing down the carpet with it. Well that was useful...

"I'm glad my parents got this thing, now. This would have been a pain to clean by hand..." she muttered as I walked up, still amused at the device.

"I'm sorry again about spilling the garbage..." I muttered., irritated at myself again.

The girl stood up again and shook her head. "It didn't take that long to clean up, don't worry!" she exclaimed cheerfully. I winced internally at the decibel, but she continued anyway, "My name's Natsume, by the way. I can't believe you've lived here for so long and I neglected to introduce myself. I should be the one apologizing!"

"Heh, it's fine. I know I don't stop to talk much, so it's not that surprising," I pointed out, noting that she had stopped moving the cleaner for about fifteen seconds now. Hope that wouldn't damage the carpet or anything...

Natsume snickered merrily and nodded, frowning at my still open door, suddenly. "You're up awfully early. Is Kisa still sleeping, then?" she asked slowly. I sighed.

"No... Kisa's not feeling well and staying at her big sister's house to get better. I'm... not the greatest at cooking, hence the smelly leftovers," I pointed out.

Natsume play pouted. "Aww! That's not good. You totally should have came and got me. I would have cooked for you!" she exclaimed, smiling at me again afterwards. Er... what?

"Um... that's not needed, don't worry. I can stomach my own cooking so..." I started to reason.

Natsume cut me off my stomping her right foot down and waving her finger in front of me. "No, Mister! I won't take no for an answer! I'm cooking you breakfast right now!" she declared, adding emphasis to the "now" by stomping her foot down. Unfortunately, she seemingly totally forgot about the steam cleaner and stomped the edge of it...

The cleaner made a really unhealthy sound before launching sideways from her downwards momentum! It went flying from her hands and I watched it skip down the hallway, spewing steam and water everywhere... She yelped and went running after it as I smacked my forehead. On second thought, maybe my cooking would be safer than hers after all.

It took her a full twenty seconds to corral the beast and get it turned off. I laughed as she sprawled on the floor in a heap after pouncing on it. That was terribly amusing. At least I felt slightly better about only tearing a garbage bag open!

Walking over, I moved to help her get up at the very least. She rolled over weakly on the floor, tucking her feet under her to help her get back into a standing position as I bent over to offer a hand. That's when I noticed that one really shouldn't stand back up in that manner while wearing a skirt! I rapidly blushed and looked away as I pulled her to her feet.

"Ah! Oops... sorry. Didn't mean to flash you..." she muttered, brushing her skirt off as she looked away from me, turning shades of red.

I sighed and shook my head. "Just be more careful. Someone could get hurt from rogue steam cleaners if you don't watch out..." I muttered, causing her to laugh and me to feel less awkward.

She reached down and grabbed the cleaner again before snagging my arm with her other hand and hauling me back to my apartment... She was still intent on making sure I ate right. Geh. She was a weird mix between Kisa and my Mom!

After she shoved me back inside my own apartment, she started digging through the fridge. I just watched her, a mix of bewilderment and amusement present. She dug through the fridge until she withdrew with what seemed to be eggs. "I'll fix this up, don't you worry! Just go about your normal morning routine and pay no attention to me! It's as if I'm not here!" she exclaimed, smiling before cracking the egg into a mixing bowl.

Well... she was a strange girl... but I was under the assumption that she was a better cook than I... not that it would take much to accomplish that. That and she wasn't going to stop pestering me until I let her do this...

Nodding, I turned and walked back into the bedroom. What to do today. Saturday, so no school at least. I should get dressed... go check to see how Kisa's doing... and if she still needed more recovering and wanted to stay there, I guess Kazuma probably wouldn't mind some company for a while. I'll think of what to do next once there...

Stretching, I gathered some clothes up from the closet and slipped into the bathroom, ignoring the crashing I heard from the kitchen. Geh. I really hoped she knew what she was doing. Shaking my head, I locked the door just as a precaution and started the shower up. She seemed like a nice enough girl, but I guess I was just paranoid.

The water felt wonderful, however, and I let it run down my back gently. The training yesterday left a slight tingling in my shoulders and back, and I gently rubbed it out with my hands. My fingertips played across the light scarring back there, tracing every mark the glass had made so long ago. They were barely noticeable now, but I remembered them distinctly and sighed.

Those feelings seemed ancient, even though it wasn't terribly long ago in the scheme of things. There was no doubt that Kisa loved me, or I certainly wouldn't have had a happy ending at this point. She didn't seem to get it, though. She thought this whole situation was catastrophic, but she was being overly dramatic. Living without her for a while would certainly take some adjusting, but we'd have everything after that to make up for it. Plus, so long ago, I had to think that I was never really considering I'd ever get to live with her in the first place. In any regard, I should be honored, not sad.

Tracing the shoulder scars as well, I groaned uneasily as I remembered that whip. Something had... changed in Akito. I don't know what but she had gotten more... desperate, as of late. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if she had added torture to her favorite pastimes by now. Still... she, out of all of us cursed ones, seemed the most twisted.

I let the water play over my hair as well before adding shampoo in. The smell of unburned food was actually starting to waft up through the crack at the bottom of the door! Shocking! Well I guess being messy doesn't interfere with the food still tasting good? Always possible. Maybe I was just used to Kisa being so clean around the kitchen, having learned from Tohru herself.

Chuckling, I rinsed the soap suds out of my hair before cleaning off the remainder of my body. I'd built up and retained a moderate muscle structure over the years, I guess. It wasn't something I normally focused on, but more of a side effect of martial arts training. I was in no way a bodybuilder. That wouldn't do for martial arts at all! Muscle bulk limits mobility and lowers speed of movement. A balance occurs automatically while training, and I've never really had to think about it. Still, I could definitely see a noticeable muscle structure under my skin. Frowning, I traced the lines of my abs with my index finger.

It led me back to why I did this again. Training was fun... and I practiced for a form of exorcise, sure... but there was probably more to it than that. It was excellent stress relief as well, and it definitely helped me protect the ones I loved. But... was there anything deeper than that? Frowning, I stared at my right palm and clenched my fist a couple of times. Control, I guess... It helped me if I had control over... something. Even if it was just myself.

I shook my head and stepped out of the shower. The mirror was fogged up but I could still see my basic form in it. All that I was, really. Suddenly I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the door closing? Oh, great... what did she get up and walk off in the middle of cooking. I sighed. This was probably a bad idea after all.

Turning the shower off again from the other side of the sliding door, I wondered if she was still cooking something that could potentially start a fire. I decided to rapidly get dressed, just in case. About a minute later, I was turning off the light and stepping out of the bathroom. Turning the corner, I peeked into the kitchen.

Blinking, I stared at the back of Natsume as she worked on piling eggs onto a plate along with toast and what appeared to be some type of potato dish? Well... that was weird. What was with the door then? She smiled and turned around, grinning at me. "Just in time, Hiro! I just finished. Can I stay here until you get done?" she asked politely. Huh. Guess I didn't have anything to worry about after all.

Glancing past her, I noticed she still had more in the pans on the stove. I smiled and nodded before adding, "You might as well make a plate for yourself, too, seeing as you went through all the trouble to make it."

She blushed and nodded with an "if you're sure" look. After she got herself a plate as well, she sat down in Kisa's usual spot across from me at the table nearby. I nodded to her briefly before sampling some of the egg. It wasn't that bad! Hmm. Kisa's was better, but that would be harsh to hold her to that standard! She grinned after she saw me smile and nod to her, then let out a breath of relief? "I was so afraid that you wouldn't like it!" she exclaimed, laughing to herself before taking a bite of the egg as well.

We were about ten minutes in when I finally felt sated to the point where I could look up. She was keeping right up and was working on her second piece of toast. "I heard the door close in the bathroom. What was that about?" I finally asked, tilting my head curiously at her.

She finished swallowing and nodded, seemingly confused. "It was somebody knocking at your door. I don't know. He was asking for you, and quite cute if I could say so. I just said that you were in the shower and he could wait around if he wanted, but he said he had to go and gave a note for me to give to you. I left it on the counter," she explained, seemingly in one breath.

I blinked again. A visitor? Wait... a cute boy? A Sohma boy? She answered the door and said I was in the shower?! I felt my blood pressure slowly lower and I got colder. Well... that couldn't have looked good. Damn it! Please let it be Haru or Yuki! "What... did the boy look like?" I asked carefully, trying to keep my voice level and lowering my fork.

"Uh... he was shorter than you by a little bit... and had blondish hair. Was wearing rather cheerful colors, too!" she commented, smiling.

Damn it! Momiji! Damn! Not at all good! And it was way too late to catch up with him. I'd have to hurry to Kisa after I finished eating and explain things if she's angry or anything... I rapidly got up and read the note uneasily, while Natsume watched, slightly concerned seeming.

"Hey Hiro. Interesting girl cooking you breakfast. Kisa sent me to check up on you to make sure you didn't burn the apartment down with your cooking, and look what I find. You in the shower and a strange girl cooking you breakfast. Well I'll at least pass on to Kisa that you're alright... but you might want to hurry over after you're done..." was what the note read. Done was underlined and I growled. That bastard. Why would he think that I...?

Natsume frowned. "Is... something wrong, Hiro? Uh... should I not have..." she started, standing up. My left fist shook as I crushed the note in it. What the hell did he think I was doing?! He should know me better than this! Was he still sore over us running away?! I know he didn't approve but...

"No... just... I'll do the dishes later. I have to go do something now so... you'll need to leave," I muttered, frustrated. She nodded quietly and walked over to the door to grab her broom again. I opened the note and stared blankly at it. Ten to twelve minutes was the leeway. He was probably at Shigure's house right now if he went straight back to report. Damn.

Natsume gave me one last sad glance before opening the door and leaving. Cursing silently the entire time, I rapidly got my shoes and coat on before rushing out the door...

* * *

**New Acquaintance**

* * *

Yawning, I slowly stretched and sat up on the couch. I'd not been up terribly long, but still had felt the need to gravitate around the couch. It wasn't so much I was still tired, but my body just hurt and I didn't feel like moving much. Then Momiji and Haru had come to visit! I was happy to see them but they said they couldn't stay long. Haru wanted to get back to the main complex quickly as he was going out with Rin later today. Momiji also mentioned something about a job interview later that he wanted to be prepared for.

It was still nice of them to check up on me! They were worried about me and it made me smile at least. Hiro hadn't been in yet, which was kind of disappointing. I'd hoped to wake up to his face but no such luck. That would have been perfect after the crappy dream I'd had. Still... it would be nice of him to at least call me, even if he did sleep in a little later than usual. I tried not to be bitter, but I was a little worried as well.

With that worry in mind, I asked Momiji if he could swing past the apartment and see if it was still standing, at least, then call me on his cell phone to make sure Hiro was at least okay. I knew I was probably over-reacting, but he agreed anyway, smiling cutely at me. Momiji was always so nice to everyone!

It was about six or seven minutes later now, and I could smell Sis making some delicious breakfast in the kitchen. My stomach rumbled of its own accord. Suddenly, I heard footsteps in the hall again. I sat up on the couch and straightened my blankets again. Hinata came around the corner suddenly, and I smiled. She made it here before Hiro too! I'd really have to lecture the boy... I giggled at the thought. Following Hinata, was a new girl though?

I'd never seen her before. She was a little shorter than Hinata, but I placed her at about the same age. The most outstanding point of her was her shortish, teal hair, I'd say. It was done up in two cute ponytails and she was smiling at me. Runner up in outstanding points would be her clothing, though. She wore a short skirt and vest, both black and kept in place by a rather solid belt. She also had large boots on with way too many buckles that almost went to her knees. Both girls had tiny little backpacks on.

"Hey Sis! I came after I heard that you were sick from Hatori! Andi and I were on the way to the Library to do some studying, so I thought I'd drop by here first to see how you were doing!" Hinata exclaimed happily after running up to me. The girl... "Andi" I'm guessing, walked up slower and stood at her side, smiling merrily at me. Huh... weird.

I nodded and smiled back. "Thank you for checking up on me! I'm feeling better now. Is this a new friend, though?" I asked, intrigued by the young girl.

Hinata nodded without losing her smile. "Yeah, she's new here! She transferred in with her dad from a big country called Canada. She enrolled late though, and she dressed so cool, so I asked her if she needed help studying!" She explained.

"Yes! Hinata has been very nice to me so far! I'm thankful that she was there..." Andi added, nodding vigorously. She was so... expressive. Was everybody like this across the sea?

I nodded at her. "Well I'm Kisa, in case Hinata didn't mention. I'll be marrying her brother, eventually, so Hinata's like a little sister to me," I informed.

Andi nodded, and confirmed, "Hiro, right? I'd really like to meet him too, at some point..."

"Yeah... but we don't have time to stick around right now. We have to study for the test on Monday while we still can!" Hinata reminded, causing Andi to pout.

After several seconds of Hinata glaring, Andi finally sighed. "Yeah yeah. You're right, we should get to studying. It was nice meeting you, Kisa!" she exclaimed merrily, recovering unnaturally quickly.

I smiled and nodded. Hinata called out "I'll check in on you later!" as she ran back around the corner. Andi followed after her at a slightly slower, and exasperated pace. Interesting. Canada was close to the United States of America if I recall, so she was probably a lot like the people over there. Maybe I could learn something from her?

Smiling, I stretched and stood up off the couch. The soreness was leaving my muscles about then and I walked towards the hallway to get to the kitchen. Glancing to my left as I walked, I saw Momiji coming back up the driveway through the main window in the living room. I frowned. He looked a tad distressed, and I'd told him to call me, not come back and report in person. Great. Hiro probably burned the building down... Groaning, I walked towards the entry hall, expecting bad news...

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**Chapter 27 – End!**

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Author's Notes:

Hello again, all who are still reading this! This was slightly beyond my two week attempt, but I'm still better than before I guess. This is longer than the last chapter if I recall, but I think I get quite a bit more done overall. I'm pretty sure I lost a LOT of readers, however. And I looked over the new features of and was quite impressed. Once I figure out this Beta Reader thing, it would be cool to have someone look over my stories before I post them, if anyone out there is willing. PM me if interested.

Furthermore, I set up a forum where I can post updates to my chapter every few days! I should have done this before, but live and learn, I guess. Anyway, the address should be posted on my profile page, towards teh top. I'm trying to update the forum every three days as a maximum, so if you want to subscribe to that for more frequent updates, go for it. I'm new to running a forum though, so expect a bit of awkwardness and confusion...

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**LullusHuo**: Oooh, I was hoping you'd respond! Thank you again for knocking me out of my stupid funk. And I'm happy you reviewed. I appreciate every single one! -smiles- How goes the re-reading? I'm hoping the last chapter met your expectations, as well as this one. Heh. I'm thinking I probably lost quite a bit of readers with my vast hiatus of stupidness, but I can only hope for a second chance. I feel bad just thinking about it now. And make sure to peek at the forum for more update goodness?

I shall attempt to meet any pressure with battle-ready fighting stance and lots of updates! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well and thank you again for reviewing!

**Anonymous**: Now I'm just going to pretend you're actually named that. But congrats on the academic success. I'm taking a sabbatical of sorts from school for a bit until I can get some things... straightened out in my life. And this chapter has a lot less of the supernatural, if you'll note. Just mild hinting at it. Do you approve more? I have a normal scope planned out for a little bit like this. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well, and thank you so much for reviewing again! You bring my confidence back in my writing!

**Arc Knight**: Whaaa?! You left? Aww! But I'm honored that you came back and are reading my story, still! I was afraid that I had lost you as a reviewer. Losing steady reviewers hurts the most, and you had some of the best constructive viewpoints! But I'm glad you're still here. And don't worry about the M rating. Most of it is for blood and gore, as you've already seen so far. Anything sexual in nature and I'll give warnings ahead of time. It also probably won't be explicit, as tends to frown upon things of that nature... heh. Plus... well... no, never mind... -averts eyes-

Thank you again for reviewing, however, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the last! -considers asking you to be forum moderator or beta reader, but decides not to impose-

**wyrm_master**: Oooh... thank you for the review! New readers are certainly welcome and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Er... may I ask what the percentage mark in parenthesis was for? -blinks-


	28. Note: Hiatus

Hiatus

My apologies for the hiatus I have been on, and continue to be on so far. My computer crashed again after I had two chapters up and ready to be posted. I also lost all my backups... again. I'm getting really tired of having to re-do all of my effort, so I think I need a break for a while. Also, certain other... complications have entered my life that I must devote my attention to.

While I do not plan on giving up on this story, I need a break. Be it two weeks or two months... but I plan on eventually returning to it. Keep me on author or story alert if you wish, and my sincere apologies once more to loyal readers and reviewers.

Signed,

Angsty Tiger


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